Three and a half thousand spectators packed the open-air theatre of the 3rd Marina last night, despite the Eurobasket final, to watch the amazing performance of Sophocles’ “Philoctetes”, directed by Giorgos Kimoulis. A play with many messages and excellent performances of the roles by three greats: George Kimoulis as Philoctetes, Dimitris Gotsopoulos as Neoptolemos and Thodoris Katsafados as Odysseus.
Giorgos Kimoulis embodied Philoctetes with intensity and inner depth, causing emotion. His physical expression aptly conveyed the isolation and torment of pain, while his cry for the injustice he has suffered crossed every mental boundary. And yet, behind the rage and physical exhaustion, we saw that the hero retains the fortitude and purity of a man of integrity.
Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles, represents both the pure spirit and the ambivalence between good and evil. After realizing the error of abandoning Philoctetes, he gradually chose to vindicate him. Dimitris Gotsopoulos delicately rendered this transition, alongside Kimoulis, with a performance that works cathartically.
Odysseus, as embodied by Thodoris Katsafados, appeared as cynical and cunning, with his every move serving a purpose. He is cold and does not hesitate to use trickery and violence to achieve his goal, to deceitfully wrest the precious bow that Philoctetes has in his hands.
The seven men of the Chorus performed with remarkable empathy and caution, ready to show toughness if they suspected a threat. Particularly moving was the scene where they decide to help the stricken Philoctetes and get him on board.
The Chorus consists of: Panagiotis Katsikis, Manolis Klonaris, Kostas Korakis, Theofilis Paschalis, Vassilis Poulakos, Marios Tzoganos and George Tsourounakis.
The directorial approach of Giorgos Kimoulis is anthropocentric, as befits the nature of ancient tragedy. Philoctetes, abandoned, betrayed and sick, dominates the stage for most of the performance, as a tragic figure that encapsulates human suffering and moral resistance. The performance manages to strike a balance between ancient Greek themes and contemporary socio-political concerns.
The simple sets by Maria Philippou, the costumes by Sofia Nikolaidis and Ilia Strigaris, as well as the musical composition by Andreas Katsigiannis, harmonize perfectly with the atmosphere of the tragedy. Without babbling, they help the audience to be transported to the era, to feel the dilemmas and to understand the play in depth.
The performance moves on the delicate threads of morality, between the immorality of deception and the value of truth. It unfolds with a solid stage structure, well-crafted text and rich performances, with the actors essentially collaborating on stage. The final scene serves as a deeply redemptive moment, both for the plot development and for the audience.
It was a performance that was sold out all over Greece. In Glyfada, it was offered to the public for FREE by the Municipality of Glyfada, as part of the Festival that has been established by the Mayor George Papanikolaou and has a huge popularity. The responsibility and coordination of the events is the responsibility and coordination of the events has the Acting Municipal Councillor for Culture Georgia Vamvakerou, who welcomed the people yesterday to this quality theatrical evening. The “present” was, as every evening, the Municipal Councillor for the Municipal Police George Tavernarakis, while the performance was also attended by the Municipal Councillor for the Children’s Centres Maria Kyriakopoulou.
The Glyfada Festival continues until 24 September with theatre performances, concerts and cinema. You can see the whole programme here: www.glyfada.gr/festival
