A tribute to both the unsung members of the working class and motherhood, Life, Old Age, and Death of a Working-Class Woman by renowned French philosopher and sociologist Didier Eribon—recently published in Greece—carries a deeply autobiographical origin, dedicated to the author’s mother. A profoundly political work, it boldly and honestly paints the portrait of a working-class woman while bringing to the forefront the hardships, dreams, and frustrations that shaped her life. As its title makes crystal clear, the book links together personal identity, class background, and the fated trajectory of working-class women. In the work, the personal becomes unmistakably political, while issues of old age and the rights of elderly women take centre stage.
To what extent do working-class women have the power to define their lives? ”Who speaks? Who has the right to be heard?” Eribon asks, holding artists and intellectuals accountable and reminding them of their duty to give voice to those who remain on the margins.
The book is adapted on stage by Sofia Antoniou—a new creative voice of the younger generation and a graduate of the Department of Directing of the National Theatre of Greece—whose work explores theatre as an immersive experience. The play traces the heroine’s memories as they are restored to life by a chorus of elderly actors who embody her experiences within a poetic and associative stage universe. Balancing between the realistic and the dreamlike, the direction assembles a living space of remembrance.
Direction: Sofia Antoniou
Dramaturgy: Eva Fraktopoulou
Set & costume design: Marilena Kalaitzandonaki
Music composition: Ecati
Movement: Evi Oikonomou
Lighting design: Tasos Palaioroutas
Assistant to the director: Marilena Moschou
Assistant to the set designer: Timothy Laskaratos
Cast: Periklis Albanis, Makis Arvanitakis, Aris Balis, Eva Fraktopoulou, Nikol Kokkinou, Antonis Konstantopoulos, Magda Lekka, Ioanna Mavrea, Kleopatra Rontiri, Andriani Tountopoulou
Production management: Masterskaya / Marilena Kalaitzandonaki
Executive producer: Lefou Productions / Vasia Attarian, Serafeim Radis
Language Greek (with English surtitles)
Didier Eribon, Vie, vieillesse et mort d’une femme du peuple, Flammarion 2023 (France) / Nissos Publishing 2024 (Greece, trans. Yannis Stefanou)
As part of the Athens - Epidaurus Festival 2025.
