From 8 November at the Eleni Papadaki stage of the Rex Theatre, the National Theatre of Greece presents Maria Zavakou’s After the party, a play about cyberbullying and the challenges faced by the youth of today, directed by Yolanda Markopoulou. It is a coming-of-age story set in the digital age and all that that entails: ‘likes’, red hearts, anonymity, violation of privacy, and internet rights. How safe do you really feel?

A teenage party begins. The social media generation, who live and breathe technology, are confronted with the dangers of the online world. Nothing is innocent any longer. Nothing is hidden. When young people, parents and teachers are forced to take a stand in a case of cyberbullying, a chain reaction reveals the nature of complicity and the role that silence plays in allowing violence to thrive. School, bedrooms, and even free time become like prisons. Who is telling the truth and who is lying? The boundaries between fact and fantasy are blurred. And reality is constantly slipping away.

Maria Zavakou’s highly original new work, inspired by the personal narratives of under-eighteens who have suffered online harassment, becomes a living theatrical experience. The result of months of research working with experts including criminologists, psychiatrists, journalists, and A.I. scientists, the play grapples with the thorny issue of bullying both at school and in cyberspace, mental health, and how to prevent and deal with abuse. How can the circle of silence be broken? What should our position be regarding retaliation? The production explores the unique stage of life known as adolescence, as well as the need we all have for real, meaningful communication.

Cyberbullying: two discussions 
The Friday 22 November and Friday 13 December performances of After the party will be directly followed by a discussion about internet bullying between experts and teenagers.
Additional information will soon be available on n-t.gr.