The honest Chremylus, a poor Athenian peasant, Aristophanes’ alter ego, is experiencing the new reality in a traumatic way: social values, ideas, and morals have fallen away.

The lack of resources and social justice, as well as the fear of impoverishment, terrify this romantic utopian, especially for his child’s future.

He resorts to the Oracle of Delphi posing the agonising question “What can I do to ensure a secure future for my child?”. Apollo’s ambiguous response is to take care of the first helpless person he meets on his way and persuade him to come home with him.

This is none other than the god Plutus, who generously gives away gold, money, and all material goods Chremylus and the whole society has dreamt of! They are all rich now! Their dream has come true. Happiness is here!

But deep down this dream provided by the god Apollo turns out to be a test revealing the poverty of values, the absence of social cohesion and solidarity, elements of self-awareness and social conscience, without which there is no rational management of wealth aimed at the common good of the Polis. Everyone is simply driven to greed, personal enrichment, foolish accumulation of material goods, unnecessary overconsumption and tasteless demonstration of opulence.

Our poet, in his own, uniquely satirical manner, shows us a way of managing material goods, but always with the interests of the Polis in mind – a Polis with just, honest, and virtuous citizens.

Is this utopian? Possibly. Aristophanes however reserves the right to dream!

– Giannis Kakleas

The National Theatre of Northern Greece (NTNG) is one of the country’s largest theatre institutions. With its five indoor and two outdoor stages, plus the appearances it makes on tour and at festivals both in Greece and internationally, it has been a driving force on the cultural scene since 1961.

The NTNG is a private legal non-profit entity and is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors along with the Artistic Director. It is supervised and funded by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sport.

As a public theatre which repays citizens for the funding it receives through the art, education and entertainment it provides, and which seeks to remain open and accessible to society at large, the National Theatre of Northern Greece has forged a strategy which revolves around the following axes:
• a wide-ranging repertory
• high-quality productions for children and young people
• a focus on theatre education and educational activities
• strong ties and partnerships with cultural institutions, municipal authorities, bodies and social institutions
• an emphasis on social policy
• social activities which raise public awareness
• low ticket prices with a wide range of concessions
• a powerful international presence.

The NTNG’s annual programme brings together its own in-house theatre productions with co-productions with other theatre organizations, stagings of productions from Greece and abroad, and a wide range of cultural events. The Theatre also stages long summer tours around Greece and winter tours of Northern Greece and organizes the annual Forest Festival, a major cultural event for Thessaloniki which includes concerts, theatre and dance.

The NTNG Drama School provides complete theatre education free of charge and has been a nursery for young actors since 1973.

In addition, taking its social role seriously and doing all it can to make theatre accessible to people of all ages, including those without easy access to live theatre, the NTNG engages in activities provided free of charge to special social groups.

It is a member of the Union of the Theatres of Europe and the International Theatre Institute.

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