THEATRE AT MEGARON
Co-production:
Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall
Dramaticus
In collaboration with the DIAZOMA Association
An original dramatization of Thucydides’ ‘History of the Peloponnesian War’.
Lessons of War II: The ‘Sicilian Drama’ present episodes from the second phase of the Peloponnesian War, the disastrous Sicilian Expedition (415-413 BC), drawing material from the 6th, 7th, and part of the 8th book of Thucydides’ History. The action traces the highlights of what was, for Athenian politics, the most dramatic phase of the war: from the ambitious fantasy of Athenian rule over the West, and the various turns of fortune during the fighting in Sicily, to the crushing defeat of the Athenian forces and the final collapse of expansionist plans. The tragic hero in the political and military ‘tragedy of Athens’ is the impersonal Athenian Demos [i.e. the citizens] and its tragic consciousness as embodied in the great protagonists (politicians and generals), especially controversial Alcibiades and contradictory Nicias. The concept of the work is based upon the conventional structure of Greek tragedy: tragic flaw, hubris, and nemesis.
In March 2019, the performance Lessons of War, acclaimed by audiences and critics, was presented in Brussels (Yehudi Menuhin Space) upon special invitation by the European Parliament.
Text-Dramaturgy Giannis Lignadis
Director Dimitris Lignadis
Music Thodoris Economou
Historical consultant Dr Androniki Makri
Cast Dimitris Lignadis and a group of young actors
Thodoris Economou piano (onstage)
With English surtitles
Before each performance, a brief introductory talk by Dr Androniki Makri