The award-winning theatrical monologue “The Tea Ceremony” is being presented in Thessaloniki for three performances only, hosted at Craftopia Hub.

The Tea Ceremony is a poetic and deeply political work that begins with the subtlety of Japanese ritual and gradually reveals the dark side of modern consumerism. Through the geisha Kikunohana, Marios Ioannou poses crucial questions about the lives sacrificed behind our everyday comforts, technology, and the illusion of “innocence.”

The play was written by Achim Wieland and Marios Ioannou and directed by Wieland, to whom it is dedicated, following his sudden death in Sicily. Starting as a strictly structured ceremony, the performance turns into a bittersweet, interactive experience that brings to the fore issues of modern slavery, child labor, and the trade in bodies and souls.

Marios Ioannou, a graduate of the National Theater Greece Drama School, has a long international career in theater and cinema, with award-winning performances and collaborations in Greece and abroad. For the past six years, he has been playing the role of the geisha Kikunohana, a role that earned him the Best Performance Award at the FIAT Festival, while the performance won the Directing Award at the Milano Off Theatre Festival.

The Tea Ceremony has been presented in Athens, Berlin, Rome, Milan, Edinburgh, Turin, Sarajevo, Nicosia, Montenegro, Drama, and Kavala, leaving a strong impression on audiences and critics alike.

About

Text: Achim Wieland, Μarios Ioannou
Director– Dramaturgy: Achim Wieland
Performer: Marios Ioannou
Translated in Greek by: Μarios Ioannou, Κostis Megalis
Set designer: Achim Wieland
Costume designer: Ιoanna Tsami
Choreographed by: Αlexis Vassileiou
Lighting design: Μarios Ioannou
Photographs: Marco Paparella, Achim Wieland, Flavio Bruno
Production company: Craftopia Hub – Εvita Stavrou

Craftopia Hub, Ptolemeon 39, Thessaloniki
Thursday 30 January– 21:00
Saturday 1 February – 19:00 & 21:00
Limited seating available