HILL 731 | Theatro Poreia

In 1941, at Hill 731, the small-scale Greek army manages a convincing victory over Mussolini's large-scale army in the latter's attempt to conquer Greece. In the battle that took place, the facts and numbers seem toenter the realm of the absurd in regards to the numbers of the Greek foot soldiers and the methods they used to combat an Italian offensive of mythical proportions.

In the performance, with narration of the facts as the key, the battle is referenced on an existential and spiritual playing field of humans;in a place where the illogical way of thinking prevails; he who goes against common notion and  comes into conflict with the accepted  beliefs or common logic; there where the paradoxical way of thinking consists of freedom as its key meaning, against an adversary which at first seems impenetrable and which attempts by force to establish in the existential and spiritual playing field of humans a model of regularity and homogeneity which in the end detaches us from life itself.Information sourced from newspapers, eye witness accounts of the era, interviews and memoirs of people that fought in the battle are transformed into music, movement and text.

Creative Team

Direction and Text: Aris Biniaris
Set & Costumes Design: Paris Mexis
Dramaturgy: Aris Biniaris
Lighting Design: Paris Mexis, Aris Biniaris
Music composed and performed by: Victor Kouloumbis (bass),Panos Sardelis (drums), Christos Georgopoulos (guitar)
Assistant Director: Dora Xagorari
Assistant Set Designer: Despoina Faridou
Assistant Costume Designer: Dafni Iliopoulou
Photography and Video: Patroklos Skafidas
Make-up Artist for the photography: Evi Zafeiropoulou

Performed by: Aris Biniaris and Konstantinos Sevdalis