Dora Chrysikou’s touching, enraging performance of ‘18/9’ lit up Surry Hills’ Tom Mann Theatre on Saturday, March 14, continuing the theatre’s long history of platforming Greek artists.
The title of the theatrical monologue refers to the date of the murder of Pavlos Fyssas, an antifascist rapper known as Killah P who was murdered by members of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn organisation on the 18th of September 2013.
Fyssas’ murder by senior Golden Dawn operative Giorgos Roupakias sparked nationwide protests and a five year long trial that contributed to Golden Dawn being designated as a criminal organisation in 2020.
In 18/9, Chrysikou plays Daphne, a traumatised eyewitness to the murder who battles between staying silent and taking action on the day she is due to testify in court.
Throughout the play, Chrysikou writhed with deep anxiety and tension as Daphne recalled the murder and heard the voices of her family discouraging her from speaking up.
One section of the play was also punctuated by short samples of Fyssas’ music, a gut-wrenching reminder of his profound contributions to the Greek musical and political landscapes.
The play kept the audience enraptured as the action on stage shifted from Daphne’s agonised internal monologue to on-screen footage of her testimony. At several points, Chrysikou also stepped into the audience, addressing them directly about the dangers of ignoring violence, division and prejudice in their own communities.
As Daphne ultimately decided to testify, the stage lights went down and the screen lit up with a photo of Magda Fyssa, Pavlos Fyssas’ mother who has been at the forefront of activism against Golden Dawn and fascism in Greece.
This moment of silence before the audience erupted into a standing ovation served as a sobering reminder of those impacted the most by Fyssas’ death, and as an example of how personal pain can be translated into political action.
*All photos Vasilis Vasilas.
