The Backyard of Miracles

by Iakovos Kambanellis

ZILLER BUILDING – MAIN STAGE

The Backyard of Miracles paints a vivid picture of working class life in the Athenian suburb of Vyronas in the 1950s. A host of characters from different backgrounds, but united by the struggle for survival and a better life, give voice to their joys and sorrows, dreams and disappointments. Their enforced coexistence gives rise to all the problems of society in microcosm, with individuals having to share their personal space and their lives with others. At the same time, however, people communicate with one another; and solidarity and compassion flourish. These are virtues that will soon be extinguished, though, by the emergence of a new urban landscape in which traditional neighbourhoods are torn down and replaced by apartment blocks.
In this major post-war play, Iakovos Kambanellis manages to achieve something much more than a study of manners, penetrating to the heart of the human condition. With his writer's instinct, he records images of homeland and aspects of the Greek character, using the symbol of the backyard to highlight the importance of a collective experience which, although weakened by the modern way of life, remains fundamental to Greek society.
The National Theatre honours the father of Greek realism with a Main Stage production directed by Yannis Kakleas and featuring a strong cast.