PLUTUS by Aristophanes

Translation – Loose translation of text – Direction: Giannis Kakleas

After the sold-out performances at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus during the Athens Epidaurus Festival 2024 and the shows in Cyprus at the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama, Aristophanes’ “Plutus,” translated, freely adapted, and directed by Giannis Kakleas, will be presented on Saturday, 3rd August, at the Ancient Theatre of Philippi in Kavala as part of the 67th Philippi Festival.

The performance, a modern take on Aristophanes’ comedy, brimming with energy and rhythm, offers a delightful and always relevant contrast between Wealth and Poverty, reminding us that “in the world, there are people who have money and people who are wealthy.”

Manos Vakousis, who was recently honoured with the Grand Theatre Award “Karolos Koun,” stars as Chremylos. In a surprise role during the Parabasis, historian and University of Athens Professor Maria Efthymiou makes an appearance, illuminating the historical journey of humanity in relation to wealth.

About the Play

Chremylos worries about his son’s future. Which path should he choose in life: the honest one, which will force him to live in poverty and deprivation, or the path of dishonesty and corruption, which will help him live comfortably? The meeting with Plutus, who roams blind and punished by Zeus, will help him solve his practical problem. But what about the moral one? Can wealth coexist with virtue? What is the difference between people with money and truly wealthy people? And what is ultimately in the citizens’ interest? Unrestrained individual enrichment or a rich public treasury?

“Plutus” was first presented in 388 BC, during a period when the Athenian economy had suffered greatly following the defeat in the Peloponnesian War. Giannis Kakleas directs and adapts Aristophanes’ text, engaging with the author’s utopian vision and bringing to the stage dilemmas and concerns that remain relevant through the ages.

Director’s Note

Chremylos, Aristophanes’ alter ego, experiences in a traumatic way a reality where social values, ideas, and ethics in the New Age have unfortunately decayed.

The lack of resources, social justice, and the fear of painful impoverishment terrify this romantic utopian, especially concerning his child’s future.

Desperate, he turns to the Oracle of Apollo with the anxious question, “What should I do to ensure a secure future for my child?” Apollo’s ambiguous answer is to follow the first person he meets on his way and convince him to come home with him.

This person turns out to be none other than the god Plutus, who generously bestows gold, money, and all the material goods that Chremylos dreams of for his family and the entire society. Everyone becomes rich! Their dream comes true. Happiness is now present!

However, this gift from Apollo ultimately proves to be a test that reveals the poverty of values, the lack of social cohesion, and the concept of solidarity—elements of self-awareness and social consciousness. Without these, one cannot manage wealth rationally for the common good of the city. Instead, it leads to greed, individual enrichment, foolish accumulation of material goods, unnecessary overconsumption, and tasteless displays of luxury.

The poet, with his uniquely satirical style, shows us a way to manage material goods, always with the City’s benefit in mind.

A City with just, honest, and virtuous citizens.

Utopian thinking? Maybe.

But Aristophanes retains the right to dream!

Giannis Kakleas