I cry out to memory to remember...

"My whole soul is a cry and my whole work is a commentary on this cry. I call upon memory to remember, I glean my life from the air, I stand like a soldier and make my report to Greco, because he is fermented from the same Cretan soil as I am and better than all the fighters who live or who have lived can feel me".

N. Kazantzakis

Η "Reference to Greco", is the last work of the great Greek writer. A kind of spiritual autobiography or, as Kazantzakis himself characterizes it, a "report" in the military sense of the term, about his goals and his efforts. It begins with his childhood and ends with the day of the 'Cretan gaze' and the conception of the Odyssey. It does not narrate the whole of his life, but presents the milestones of his intellectual career, without following the strict chronological order of his actual biography.

The show stars the Takis Chryssikakos, who interprets Nikos Kazantzakis and characters from his work and talks with his protagonists, Captain Michael, Alexis Zorbas, Dominikos Theotokopoulos and Homer's beautiful Helen!

A performance that, through the heroes of Nikos Kazantzakis' works and his confessions (to his grandfather, as he calls El Greco), we encounter the greatness of Greece and the writer's own unruly spirit.

The programme of the performances started in Crete, the birthplace of Nikos Kazantzakis, with the support of the Region of Crete and caused great enthusiasm and emotion.

Following an invitation from the European Parliament's Culture Department, the performance was presented in Brussels, while the summer premiere of the play took place in Heraklion, at Kazantzakis' grave, with the support of the Municipality of Heraklion.

The performance, in collaboration with Kazantzakis Publications, continues its performances throughout Greece and will travel to universities and cities in Europe and America, under the auspices of the General Secretariat for Hellenes Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Region of Crete and the Kazantzakis Museum, to honour the work of the great writer.

Performance identity

Theatrical adaptation - direction - visual arts: Takis Chryssikakos
Associate - director: Emmanuela Alexiou
Song selections: Hainis Dimitris Apostolakis
Lights: Dinos Metalidis