Six theatre productions in Athens and Piraeus explore some of the darkest chapters of modern Greek history, from the German Occupation and the 1944 bombing of Piraeus to political persecution, the Greek Civil War and the lasting wounds these events inflicted on society.
Through historical testimony, literature and personal stories, the productions examine resistance, collaboration with occupying forces, memory, guilt and ideological conflict. Together, they highlight how history extends beyond dates and events to encompass the people, experiences and traumas that continue to shape Greece today.
1. The Collaborators
Venue: Chora Theatre, Athens (20 Amorgou Street, Kypseli)
Theatre of the New World and the Elephas Tiliensis company, led by Dimitris Agartzidis and Despoina Anastasoglou, bring Menelaos Charalambidis’ The Collaborators to the stage for the first time, adapting his book of the same name for theatre.
Charalambidis’ historical research examines Greek collaboration with the occupying forces during the German Occupation, betrayal, resistance and the pursuit of justice after the war.
Direction: Dimitris Agartzidis and Despoina Anastasoglou.
Cast: Dimitris Agartzidis, Despoina Anastasoglou, Markella Giannatou, Tolis Briasoulis, Vicky Katsika, Emmanouil Kontos and Aris Laskos.
Performances began: October 26, 2026.
2. Soil
Venue: bijoux de kant HOOD, Athens (35 Aktaίου Street, Thiseio)
Based on Pavlos Matesis’ novel The Dog Mother, Soil explores the wounds of the German Occupation through the story of a woman and her mother’s relationship with an Italian occupier.
The production examines social taboos, guilt and the enduring power of memory.
The play premiered in August 2026 at the birthplace of Matesis in the village of Lampeia, in the Elis region of western Greece. It now inaugurates bijoux de kant’s new venue in Thiseio, where the company will present eight performances.
Direction: Giannis Skourletis.
Dramaturgy: Asimenia Efthymiou.
Performers: Sotiria Chrysikopoulou and Charoula Tsalpara.
Runs until: December 28, 2026.
3. “…Well, You Died Early”
Venue: Sychrono Theatre, Athens (45 Evmolpidon Street, Kerameikos)
Chronis Missios’ autobiographical work returns for a fifth consecutive season, demonstrating the continued relevance of the political experiences of one of Greece’s most prominent left-wing figures.
Written in an associative, colloquial style, the work transforms painful political experiences into a vivid literary narrative. It condemns the torture Missios endured and the people who carried it out, while also criticising left-wing party bureaucrats and ideological dogmatism.
The story begins in the shadow of the Greek Civil War and examines the persecution that followed.
The GAFF theatre company brings Missios’ text to the stage under the direction of Sofia Karagianni.
Dramaturgy: Sofia Karagianni and Myrto Athanasopoulou.
Cast: Iosif Iosifidis, Konstantinos Passas, Dimitris Mamios and Giannis Manthos.
Runs until: December 26, 2026.
4. The Purple Umbrella
Venue: Poreia Theatre, Athens (3 Trikorfon Street)
Based on the novel of the same name by Alki Zei, The Purple Umbrella follows a family shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1940, as seen through the eyes of children.
The production explores everyday family life, relationships and the changes approaching as Greece and Europe stand on the brink of a historic upheaval.
Direction and dramaturgy: Dimitra Larentzakis.
Stage adaptation: Dimitra Larentzakis and Sofia Eftychiadou.
Cast: Agapi Moustri, Alexandros Koch, Vangelis Chalkiadakis, Giannis Eskintzoglou, Giorgos Makris, Eirini Ioannou-Papaneofytou, Nikolas Dringas, Triantafyllos Delis and Christina Vraka.
Runs until: January 6, 2027.
5. The Monastery of Orthokosta
Venue: NØ52 – STAGE, Athens (52–54 Tinou Street, Kypseli)
In 1943–1944, while German forces still occupied Greece, civil conflict had already begun tearing apart communities in the mountainous region of Arcadia.
Arrests, executions, reprisals and personal vendettas fuelled divisions. The Monastery of Orthokosta in Kynouria became a detention site for people considered enemies of the Greek People’s Liberation Army (ELAS).
Writer Thanasis Valtinos explored this turbulent period in his 1994 novel Orthokosta, constructing a narrative through the testimonies of people who experienced the events.
Inspired by the novel, the new stage production presents an original theatrical text that revisits the period’s conflicts and competing memories.
Concept and direction: Konstantinos Plemm enos.
Cast: Paraskevi Dourouklaki and Elli Stergiou.
Premiere: November 18, 2026.
6. Listen, Little One – Piraeus Was Bombed
Venues: Central Market of Piraeus and Municipal Theatre of Piraeus (32 Iroon Polytechniou Avenue, Piraeus)
This documentary theatre production revisits the Allied bombing of Piraeus on January 11, 1944, during the Second World War.
It recounts the experiences of people who sheltered in air-raid bunkers, witnessed the destruction and struggled to escape the city.
After eight years of research, Hermes Peristeris and Spyros Asimenios of the Mementaλ theatre group developed the production using stories from people who experienced the bombing.
The work first appeared at the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus, on its Stage Ω, and continues with special performances and activities at the Central Market of Piraeus on October 26, 27 and 28, 2026.
These performances begin at 7.30pm, and admission is free.
The production is scheduled to return for a new run at the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus from January 11, 2027.
Dramaturgy: Hermes Peristeris and Spyros Asimenios.
Cast: Spyros Asimenios, Lydia Giannousaki, Thanasis Kafen tarakis and Katerina Mephsout.
(Source: AMNA)