Following its premiere at the Athens and Epidaurus Festival in 2023 and its successful run last year, the play “Spyridoules” returns to the New Vasilakou Theater from October 6, every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

The performance is a production of the Athens & Epidaurus Festival and was first presented at Peiraios 260, as part of grape (Greek Agora of Performance), the platform for promoting Greek performing arts abroad.

Nefeli Maistrali’s “Spyridoules,” co-directed by Thanasis Zeritis and Haris Kremmydas for the 4Frontal group, make a powerful return to the stage, bringing back to the forefront the voices of women who were nannies and domestic workers in the 1950s and 1960s, fighting for their self-determination.

Based on the true story of Spyridoula, a 12-year-old maid who shocked Greek society, the performance combines elements of documentary theater, original dramaturgy, and contemporary Greek music, highlighting the unseen side of the lives of women who were forced to work as domestic servants.

The play draws on historical documents, accounts by women of the time, and contemporary testimonies from working women, conveying a powerful and timeless message.

Among them is 12-year-old Spyridoula, who moved from Mataraga, Agrinio, to Athens to work as a nanny in a wealthy household in Piraeus. For two whole years, she suffered horrific abuse, culminating in the appalling torture of being burned with an electric iron. Despite this, Spyridoula found the strength to speak out, breaking the silence and the vicious cycle of violence.

Its story transcends the narrow time frame of the 1950s, becoming a timeless symbol of empowerment for women who struggle to be heard and claim their rights.

With Nefeli Maistrali’s powerful script, the directorial vision of Zeritis & Kremmydas, and the explosive musical backdrop of Thrax Punkc, seven exceptional actors (Eleni Vlachou, Stavros Giannouladis, Tassos Dimitropoulos, Argyro Theodoraki, Katerina Lata, Aristea Stafylaki, Eleni Tsibrikidou) bring to life on stage one of the most shocking and timely stories of contemporary Greek theater.

Identity

Text- Lyrics: Νefeli Maistrali
Directors: Thanasis Zeritis, Harris Kremmydas
Set and Costume Design: Georgia Bourda
Music: Thrax Punks
Choreography: Panos Topsidis
Lighting Design: Sakis Birbilis
Assistant Director: Εleni Tsimprikidou
Musical instruction: Εvangelia Karakatsani
Research: Panagiotis Liaropoulos
Photos: Εlina Giounanli
Trailer: Apostolis Κoutsianikoulis

Cast:

Eleni Vlachou

Stavros Giannouladis

Tasos Dimitropoulos

Argyro Theodoraki

Katerina Latta

Aristea Stafylaraki

Eleni Tsimprikidou