Spyridoules

This performance combines aspects of documentary theatre, original dramaturgy and rearranged traditional Greek music. A “contemporary Greek tragedy” presented by the renowned 4frontal theatre company that takes the true story of Spyridoula, a 12-year-old housemaid, as its jumping-off point; a story that shocked the Greek public during the 1950s.

At the time, numerous poor, underage girls were adopted by prominent families as psychokores (foster daughters) to be employed as live-in servants in what was a peculiar condition of modern-day slavery.

Among them the 12-year-old Spyridoula from Mataragas, Agrinion, who moved to the Greek capital to work for a wealthy couple. For two consecutive years, as revealed in the hospital, the couple abused her physically and mentally, even reaching the point of burning her face and body using an electric iron. Nevertheless, Spyridoula mustered the courage to speak out, breaking the vicious cycle of violence. A true heroine that continues to inspire people, a source of empowerment for several generations of women who have suffered abuse and managed to speak out and put an end to it, she continues to inspire people.

Drawing on historical documents, and narratives by women that worked as live -in servants during the 50s and 60s as well as present-day interviews of women working as live-in maids Nefeli Maistrali has authored an original theatrical text inspired by the shocking story of Spyridoula and other women/psychokores.

Utilizing this new text to the sounds Thrax Punks sounds, the performance brings alive the voices of women who found themselves or still find themselves in this position, fighting for control of their lives and their bodies.

The performance “Spyridoules” is a production of the Athens Epidaurus Festival 2023 and was presented for the first time at Peiraios 260 under the umbrella of grape (Greek Agora of Performance) a platform that promotes Greek performing arts to the international theatre and dance scene.

Our heartfelt thanks for their contribution to the research to Maria Fafaliou, Yannis Ragos, ERT, Tasoula Vervenioti, Leonidas Vardaros, Daphne David, Thalassia Antonopoulou, Christina Karamaliki, Tzortzina Kakoudaki, as well as all the working women, then and now, who agreed to sharing pieces of their lives anonymously.

We also thank the European Anti-Violence Network