The innovative sound project «Be careful not to get caught in Paleochora at night: a Kythirian experience» premieres at Theatre Avaton in Athens, on 16, 17 and 18 May 2025, taking the audience to the metaphysical dimension of the legends of Kythera. It is a three-dimensional acoustic performance in total darkness, based on the podcast series of Eliza Soroga and brings to life the intangible narratives and beliefs of Chirigo.
The performance combines binaural sounds, authentic soundscapes from the island and original music by the internationally renowned composer Jeph Vanger. The action takes place in total darkness, with individual closed-back headphones, in a sonic journey representing myths, fairies, elves and ghosts, as told by local storytellers. The project is under the auspices and financial support of the Ministry of Culture and is being implemented in cooperation with the Kytheraic Foundation for Culture and Development (KIPA).
Below is the detailed press release of the show.
PRESS RELEASE
BE CAREFUL NOT TO BE CAUGHT IN THE NIGHT IN PALEOCHORA: A KYTHIRA EXPERIENCE
An immersive 3D sound experience in total darkness
16, 17 & 18 MAY 2025
ABATON THEATRE - Evpatridon 3 (metro station Kerameikos)
The project «Be careful not to get caught in Paleochora at night: a Kythirian experience» premieres in Athens and invites the audience to a unique immersive sound performance that mysteriously revives the myths, legends and beliefs of Kythera.
Starting with the podcast series that is already available on spotify, the narratives of the intangible cultural heritage of Kythera come to life at the Avaton Theatre for three days (16, 17 & 18 May), inviting the viewer to an experiential journey to the island and its metaphysical world.
In total darkness, the eyes are silenced and the narrative unfolds like a ritual, dressed in three-dimensional soundscapes that recreate the eerie passage of ghosts, the enchanted song of the fairies, the gallops and eerie screams in the ravines, the crying of unbaptized babies in the valleys and the deafening noise of the «xenolayos», the order of elves and demons that marches at night, a legend created by the echo left in the collective unconscious by the raid of the pirate Barbarossa.
The director Eliza Soroga inspired this unconventional approach to Kythirian legends and beliefs, utilizing the capabilities of three-dimensional recording (binaural recording). The recordings are accompanied by original soundscapes recorded in the legendary location of Kythira (especially for this project) and compositions by internationally renowned sound artist and electronic music composer Jeph Vanger.
The action takes place in total darkness, with individual closed-back headphones, in order to highlight the purely sonic nature of the work, free of any visual distraction.
The viewer becomes the protagonist, and experiences the legend unfolding around him/her.
The project «Beware of nightfall in Paleochora: a Kythirian experience» is an audio journey into the world of Tsirigo legends, bringing the past into the future while preserving the elements of its cultural identity unchanged.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
ABATON THEATRE : 16, 17 & 18 May 2025
Evpatridon 3 (metro station Kerameikos).
Performances: 19.00, 20.00 & 21.00
Tickets: 12 euros.
Reservations: https://www.more.com/gr-el/tickets/theater/prosekse-min-nyxtotheis-eis-tin-palaioxora-mia-kythiraiki-empeiria
Limited number of tickets (30 per performance).
Information
The performance is audio-only—it does not contain images—and will take place at total darkness focusing on the acoustic nature of the work without the distractions of the visual environment. At the entrance, you will be given individual headphones closed type. The project contains three-dimensional soundscapes i.e., sounds derived from three-dimensional recordings that reproduce the conditions of human three-dimensional hearing.
The performance is suitable for ages over 16 years old.
The action is implemented by providing the patronage and financial support of the Ministry of Culture - Directorate of Modern Cultural and Intangible Cultural Heritage.
In cooperation with the Kythira Foundation for Culture & Development (KIPA)
With his support Kythiraikos Association of Athens.
IDENTITY OF ACTION
ARTISTIC TEAM
Eliza Soroga: Concept / Screenplay / Direction
Jeph Vanger: Sound design / Music
LEADING ROLES
Sofia Seirli, Elessa Karabela, Konstantinos Kontoleon
RESEARCH TEAM
Despoina Damianou, Assistant Professor at Democritus University of Thrace.
Eleni Charou-Koronaiou, Philologist, former headmistress of Kythera High School, former curator of the Venetian Museum
Archive, Historian - Researcher - former Head of the Local Archive of Kythera
The script was created based on the original narratives of Eleni Charou, Konstantinos
Kontoleon, Penelope Vlanti, Manolis Daponte, Cosmas Megalokonomou, George Kominou, Manolis Kasimatis and Panagiotis Protopsaltis.
CONTACTΑ : Stamatina Stratigou
GRAPHIC DESIGN : Maria Siorba
SOUNDBITE : Panagiotis Kyriakopoulos, Dimitris Koukouvani
DESIGN / MANUFACTURE OF SLEEP MASKS (ARGALEOS) : Alexandra Bissa
PRODUCTION: Unclassified Actions AMKE
Digital Marketing: Vicki Crabs
ART GROUP
The performing arts artist and director Elisa Soroga is a graduate of the Cultural Studies (University of Athens) and Performance Making (Goldsmiths University of London) master's programs. Her work deals with representations of the «unfamiliar» and the transformation of everyday life into performing arts.
Awarded the first prize for contemporary art at the 11th International Arte Laguna Prize Competition of the
Venice in the Performance & Video Art category (March 2017) with the work ‘Women in Agony’. For all her work she was awarded by ARTWORKS in the 3rd Artists' Support Programme of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (2020 - 2021).
In 2018, she presented the performance «Roots» at the Athens and Epidaurus Festival. Her works and performances have been supported by ERT, the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design, ZAO EXPO’22, Zao Miyagi in Japan, Arts Council England, the Municipality of Athens, and others.
She has presented her work at the V&A Museum (London), Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture (Edinburgh), 3331 Arts Chiyoda (Tokyo), Battersea Arts Centre (London), National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST), EYE Film Institute (Netherlands), Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival (France), and many others.
Her video art and documentaries have received awards at international festivals. She is a visiting professor at universities in London, Porto, and Ankara, and has published numerous essays.
Ο Jeph Vanger (Jeff Vanger) (born in 1989 in Athens) is a sound artist and composer.
electronic music, with his work straddling the boundary between the performing arts and sound installations.
Jeph's work has been supported by ARTWORKS (Stavros Niarchos Foundation), Arts Council England, and Help Musicians UK. He was also Composer in Residence at EMS Elektronmusikstudion in Stockholm in May 2021. He studied Sound Arts at the University of Brighton from 2015 to 2018.
As a composer, he has collaborated with choreographers, dance groups, theater directors, and musicians such as Chara Kotsali, Kandy Karra, Christos Papadopoulos, Netherlands DansTheater, Mario Banousi, Savina Yannatou, Martha Passakopoulou & Aris Papadopoulos, Giorgos Koutlis, Aris Biniaris, Anastasia Valsamaki, and others. Some of his own works and collaborations have been presented at institutions, theaters, and organizations in China, the United Kingdom, France, and Greece, such as Tate Modern, Beijing Today Art Museum, Greek National Opera, Sadler’s Wells, Athens Concert Hall, Onassis Cultural Center, Athens and Epidaurus Festival, etc.
