THE YOUNG PEOPLE’S STAGE | Head: Maria Magkanari
For years, the Young People’s Stage has been a creative meeting place where people of all ages – children, teenagers and adults – can come together. Through its extensive artistic, educational and research activities, it puts into practice the fundamental principles of theatre: live interaction, dialogue, and co-creation. Continuing and developing the interconnection of different fields, and the creation of more complex and open artistic approaches, its programme this year is inspired by the unpredictable and unlimited world of language and the broader web it weaves, which inform the NTG’s entire artistic programme for the 2025-26 season.
PRODUCTIONS
This influence can clearly be seen in the two productions chosen for the Young People’s Stage: in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at the Children’s Stage, Alice goes in search of her identity and develops emotionally through the language of the imagination. Meanwhile, at the Youth Stage, you have five minutes is based on the sleeping and waking dreams of teenagers who took part in last year’s YPS workshops and shared them with the author.
WORKSHOPS
Most of the 50 regular Young People’s Stage workshops – in which about 800 people of all ages took past last season – will attempt to map language as a raw material of theatre, to investigate the language of poetry and of dreams, and to help children and adults make contact with their creative selves. Theatre, after all, speaks many languages – every word, every breath, every voice and gesture is precious.
Starting with the language that precedes speech, they move to the language of connection and feelings, welcoming preschool children into a space where play is the ultimate tool. Music introduces children to foreign languages and familiarises them with the cultures of other countries, while the language of cinema broadens their imaginative horizons. Some workshops search for poetry in the language of adolescence, in “doomscrolling” and “beefs”, a whole new idiom that adults struggle to keep up with, while others encourage today’s teens to speak the language of the classics.
The language of comedy, a tonic for all ages, is given the space it deserves, while the language of the body and rhythm is comfortably accommodated in workshops for all ages. But only one language is truly irresistible: the language of love! Is love really a language of dialogue or only of monologues? What words does love speak? What does silence express? Some workshops explore the language of cliches and stereotypes, while others celebrate the language of magic, of fairy tales, and of course of myth. And some bring together different generations, finding a common language that bridges divides.
The open exchange between productions and workshops continues at the Young People’s Stage this year: two contextualising workshops will examine the basic themes of the plays, enabling young and old alike to become acquainted with the language of poetry, paradox, and dreams, to discover the creative process of rehearsals, and to engage with creators themselves.
SOCIAL INITIATIVES
The many and varied activities of the Young People’s Stage are driven by its direct connection with society, through initiatives that heighten social awareness. Inclusion, solidarity, practical support for vulnerable social groups, and faith in the beneficial effects of the theatre inspire all our social actions.
The Hospital Visits programme returns, reaching patients who are unable to attend the theatre, with Elias Kounelas and a group of NTG actors giving performances in hospital and psychiatric wards.
Stathis Grapsas’s Prisoners Personal Development Workshop is also carrying on its work, driven by a profound belief in the liberating value of art. Finally, the workshops run by Olia Lazaridou and her colleagues for addiction treatment centres (18 Ano, Kethea) will continue to provide a space where people making important steps forward in their lives can express themselves.
Latest updated: 12/11/2025
