2 – 3 – 4 August

An exhibition, three performances and a book

dedicated to the great folk hero and his rare story

1922-2022. Karagiozis travels by train

The barefoot hero invites us to climb into a train carriage in the OSE park outside the Museum of Childhood “Station” in Nafplio and take part in his journey.

The exhibition “1922-2022. Karagiozis travels by train”, where the visitor will see the favourite heroes of the Greek shadow theatre parading in the classic bairns: Karagiozis, Hatziavatis, the Colliers and their company, Megalexander and the snake, charioteers and thieves, Barbagiorgos and Veligekas. A whole lifeless yet living troupe, made of treated leather, gelatin or carved cardboard, part of the collection of the Vasilis Papantoniou Foundation dating from 1922 to the present day. The exhibition of the collection representing twelve important masters and visual artists of shadow theatre will be completed in the autumn.

On the same days in the open-air theatre next to the OSE park, three performances will complete the event.

On August 2 at 9 pm. “The Karagiozis an- Icneytis”, a Karagiozistic adaptation of Sophocles’ ancient Styrian drama Icneytis. The contemporary play is written and directed by Yiagos Andreadis with performers in Berdais the Costas and the young Bambi Makris, two great craftsmen representing a creative meeting of two generations. The performer-mime Fanis Kafousias and the musician-performer Pan Kapernekas intervene on stage with eight instruments, especially the ancient lyre, which is the… stringed protagonist of the performance.

On August 3 at 9 p.m. Yannis Dayakos will bring to life the play “The Karagiozis Magician of the East” traditional magic comedy.

On August 4 at 9 p.m. Tasos Georgiou presents the play “The Orphan of Chios and the Nikitaras”, a historical drama with reference to 21 and Smyrna. They will be accompanied by a musical orchestra consisting of: Penny Georgopoulou (santouri), Sotiris Papatragiannis (bagpipes and singing) Argyris Nikolaou (guitar) Dimitris Kranidas (bouzouki). 

The production organization of the performances is Dream Production.

At the same time, the bilingual (Greek and English) colourful publication presenting the collection of Greek shadow theatre of the Vassilis Papantoniou Foundation entitled “I the Karagiozis. Catalogue for an exhibition” which includes both a theoretical and practical guide to shadow theatre, texts by leading Greeks on this great genre, and pages of unpublished archives of clowns. The text and editing is by Professor Yiangos Andreadis, who also edited the exhibition, and the translation into English is by director Ioli Andreadis.  The publication is sponsored by Victoria Karelia.

Editor of the catalogue, exhibition and artistic organization of the performances.

The events are the fruit of the cooperation between the Vasilis Papantoniou Foundation and the Municipality of Nafplion.