The theatrical events of the Cultural Year of Greece in China begin with the most avant-garde production of an Ancient Greek drama.

This refers to the revival of the legendary production of Aristophanes's‘Birds’, as staged by the Greek Art Theatre, Theatro Technis, under the historic direction of the most significant Greek director, Karolos Koun.

Aristophanes’most popular comedy was first presented by the Greek Art Theatre and Karolos Koun in 1959 at the Herod Atticus Odeon. The participation of leading Greek artists contributed to the artistic triumph. Eminent writer Vasilis Rotas, responsible for the adaptation and translation, one of the most important Greek painters and set designers Yannis Tsarouchis, responsible for the sets and costumes, charismatic composer Manos Hatzidakis, responsible for the music, exceptional choreographer Zouzou Nikoloudi, responsible for the choreography, and a multitude of talented Greek Art Theatre actors created a production, which today, 47 years after its first staging, has not only remained unsurpassed, but is moreover considered as the most successful post-war Greek Drama production to travel all over the world.

The third revival of this production will be presented to the Chinese audience at the new spectacular venue in the city of Beijing, the National Grand Theatre.  Thus, the most modern theatre in the world will host this gem of world drama, in a historic production, a digest of Modern Greek culture and a benchmark in Modern Greek cultural history. Through this lyric masterpiece, imbued with a subtle melancholy, Aristophanes’ timeless words will remind us all of the values which make life worth living. 2008 is the 100th year of birth of Karolos Koun. Surely the most appropriate memoriam that Koun’s disciples could offer him is this revival of Birds.

About the Play
The Birds is certainly Aristophanes most ornate, his most spectacular play: a work of inspiration, forged with care and facility, which the dramatist loved and on whose ornamentation he spent the colours of his palette with generosity.

A passing joke in Peace, staged in 421 BC, shows that Aristophanes had for some time had it in mind to take a “journey to the land of birds”, but, of course, we do not know when the idea rounded itself out into a plot for the composition of the comedy to begin. The Birds was first produced in 414BC, while the (disastrous) Athenian campaign in Sicily was still under way. One could question any direct connection between this campaign and the opportunistic journey of Peisthetairos and Euelpides, but not the internal link between their “escape” and the gloomy atmosphere which had gathered over during a long and not always victorious war. It was certainly no coincidence that at such a difficult time Aristophanes chose to tell a tale in which the political essence is dressed in the lively colours of fantasy and in which conflicts of all kinds are given a brighter aspect and relieved in the optimistic world of the dream. Aristophanes is simultaneously didactic and entertaining-the duty of the writer of comedy.

“A Bit of Everything” would be a good title for the play, in which the dramatist found a way to accommodate almost all the themes which concerned him: he lampoons the bound-less litigiousness of the Athenians as in Wasps, he ridicules Socrates and his disciples as in Clouds, he reveals the fraudulence of the soothsayers, as in Peace, the arrogance of the connoisseurs, the self-interest of the diplomats- and, of course, in the field of literary criticism he has no hesitation in poking fun on stage not only at the nameless “poet” but also, at the dithyrambist Kinesias, by name, and many others. The Birds is Aristophanes’ longest comedy: it has an extensive Prologue, a double Agon (of acts and words), a long sacrifice scene, two lengthy Parabaseis (in which the chorus speaks directly to the audience) closely linked to the story, two series of intrusive visitors, two messenger scenes, three interposed choruses, a war scene with Iris, the treachery of Prometheus, the embassy of the gods and a triumphal Gamos (wedding scene) at the end. There would be no point in this list if it were not for the fact that all these scenes are delicately worked with inspiration and evident enjoyment, if they did not blend harmoniously into a tightly-knit and panoramic whole.

Remarks: Tickets for Aristophanes Drama The Birds by Greek Art Theatre are available now!