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The NTNG participates in the 3rd European Children’s Festival ELEPHANTASTICO (25/04/2016)

THE NTNG PARTICIPATES IN

THE 3rd EUROPEAN CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL “ELEPHANTASTICO”
OF THE CITY OF THESSALONIKI
 “BOY WITH A SUITCASE
 Municipal Theatre “Aneton”, Saturday, May 21, at 18:00
 
PUPPET MAKING AND THEATRE WORKSHOP
FROM THE NTNG’s PUPPET THEATRE

Theatre of the Society for Macedonian Studies, Sunday, May 22, at 10:30
 
A performance and a workshop for children is this year’s participation of the National Theatre of Northern Greece in the 3rd European Children’s Festival organised by the City of Thessaloniki.
To be more specific, “Boy with a Suitcase” by Mike Kenny, after its successful tour all over Northern Greece with the Macedonia-Thrace Unit and its presentation at Vassiliko Theatre, is presented at Aneton Theatre on Saturday, May 21, at 18:00. Furthermore, the NTNG’s Puppet Theatre realizes a “Puppet Making and Theatre Workshop” (for
children 4-10 years old) on Sunday, May 22, at 10:30.
 
Both events have free entrance for the audience.
 
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BOY WITH A SUITCASE
A play for children and adults, through which the multi-award winning British playwright Mike Kenny touches upon a highly topical issue, in a performance that broaches the big refugee issue and the issue of the forced and violent migration.
 
An artisanal performance, without impressive sets and costumes, based on the basic theatre materials: play, transformation, true feelings, improvisation, imagination, actor’s communication with the audience.
 
The production has been chosen and is part of the Union's of Theatres of Europe EU "Conflict Zones" programme, that aims to raise the awareness of the artists and the public to the problems that humanity confronts nowadays.
 
About the Play
Little Naz lives in a Middle Eastern country.  War breaks out and his family is forced to flee.  However, there isn’t enough money for everyone to leave and Naz’s parents send him to his brother to London alone.  Naz imagines that he is Sinbad the Sailor crossing deserts, mountains and seas with Krysia as his only source of company.  Krysia is a girl, who is also going to London.  In his suitcase, Naz carried with him the stories that his father would tell him.
 
Playwright’s Note
When I wrote “Boy with a Suitcase” I didn't know then that we were only at the start of what would become the big story of our time.
 
The thing is, it's not really a new story, is it? People have been fleeing war or plague or poverty for thousands of years. My parents and my grandparents were forced to move. The generations before that, I don't know. As we entered the new century, I felt like I was hearing from all sides: “These people come here with nothing...”. No, they don't come with nothing. Even if they come empty handed, they come with their stories, their songs, their food, their culture and they can enrich the place they arrive in, if they are allowed to. Any one of us could be in that position. It is the story of humanity on this planet.
 
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In our time, the people of Greece have been at the front line in an influx of refugees, and many have displayed a generosity of spirit which has been an example to the rest of Europe. I am proud to be associated, and proud if my play can be part of the conversation.
Mike Kenny
The note was written especially for the NTNG’s production.

Boy with a Suitcase
Translation: Xenia Kalogeropoulou
Director: Mihalis Sionas
Sets-Costumes: Katerina Papageorgiou
Music: Dimitris Tassoudis
Choreography: Edgen Lame
Assistant Director: Stefania Zora
Production Co-ordinator: Dimosthenis Panos
 
Cast in alphabetical order: Lila Vlachopoulou (Krysia), Maria Karamitri (Mother/Driver/Shepherd/Old Woman/Sailor), Dimitris Kartokis (Father, Man/Sailor/Old Man), Aggelos Nerantzis (Naz), Timos Papadopoulos (Smuggler/ Soldier/Dealer/Brother/ Sailor).
 
“BOY WITH A SUITCASE”
Aneton Theatre
Saturday, May 21
At 18:00
Duration: 1 hour and 20 minutes
 
Puppet Making-Theatre Workshop (for children 4-10 years old)
FROM THE NTNG’S PUPPET THEATRE

A children’s workshop aiming mainly to reinforce team spirit, creativity and imagination. Through improvisation and play the children make a puppet with very simple materials. Then, they become creators themselves, since they play their own story with the puppet they have made. 
Foyer of the Theatre of the Society for Macedonian Studies
Sunday, May 22, at 10:30
Up to 40 children (registration required)
Duration: 1 hour and a half
 
For information-registration, contact (from May 11): 2313.318.222, hours: 10:00-14:00

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