Rehearsals have begun for Bertolt Brecht's iconic play The Good Person of Szechwan, directed by Kostas Silvestros.

What Brecht himself referred to as a “theatrical parable”, written during his self-imposed exile from Nazi Germany (1939-1940), today seems just as relevant and ideologically powerful as it ever did. How can one reconcile goodness with the harshness of reality, peace of mind with social and moral decay, and how, in the end, can one live in a society that does not require one to wear a mask to survive?

About the play

In the remote Chinese province of Szechwan, the kind-hearted prostitute, Shen Teh, grapples with the contradictions of life and the daily grind in her attempt to survive. When the gods travel to Szechwan in search of kind and generous souls, only Shen Teh is willing to take them in. To thank her, they offer her money - but only on condition that she continues doing good. Shen Teh manages to buy a small tobacco shop, which is quickly overrun by dozens of her fellow citizens, all with extravagant demands. They ask her for so much, in fact, that she is forced to invent an alter ego in order to keep her shop afloat. And so she transforms herself into her antithesis, a hard-hearted “cousin”, the businessman Shui Ta. But how long will she be able to endure this split identity?

Director Kostas Silvestros immerses himself in the Brechtian universe in a production inspired by the ideals of the great writer and poet. He tells a story that resonates strongly in today's world, harnessing the energy and intensity of a diverse ensemble of experienced and younger actors, with Antonis Katsaris and Spyros Stavrinidis in the roles of the gods. The dual role of Shen Teh and Shui Ta is played by Marina Argyridou.

Credits

Translation: Anny Koltsidopoulou
Director: Kostas Silvestros
Set design: Mariza Bargilly
Costume design: Konstantina Andreou
Music: Thodoris Economou
Movement & Choreography: Panayiotis Tofi
Editing of lyrics: Stavros Stavrou
Music coach: Constantinos Andronikou
Lighting design: Georgios Koukoumas
Directing assistant: Irene Andronikou
Design assistant: Ifigenia Avraam

Cast: Giorgos Anagiotos, Marina Argyridou, Giannis Bisbikopoulos, Yolanda Christodoulou, Varvara Christofi, Giorgos Evagorou, Penny Finiri, Marilia Haridimou, Anthi Kasinou, Antonis Katsaris, Savvas Menoikou, Onisiforos Onisiforou, Spyros Stavrinidis

Performances

Nicosia
Thoc Theatre, Main Stage, Evis Gavriilidis Auditorium
From 16 February 2024
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 6pm

Limassol | Rialto Theatre
Saturday 27 April 2024 at 8pm