Following a sold-out 2024 season at La Mama Theatre, Zorba’s Last Dance is returning to Melbourne this month for a limited run at the Greek Centre, bringing new energy and “added opa” to audiences.
Written by acclaimed author and playwright Tom Petsinis and directed by Rosemary Johns, the production will run from June 10 to 14 at the Greek Centre on Lonsdale Street.
The play revisits one of the most iconic figures in Greek literature by imagining what happened after the final pages of Zorba the Greek and the famous concluding scene of the film adaptation.
At the centre of the story is a fictional encounter between the historical Giorgis Zorbas and celebrated Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis, who immortalised him in the novel. The play explores the tension between fact and fiction as the spirit of Giorgis confronts Kazantzakis, pleading for a more truthful representation of his life and identity.
Alongside this literary conflict, the production follows two contemporary characters navigating ageing, illness and personal struggle through the healing and transformative power of theatre and music.
The work explores themes including creativity, friendship, memory and the ethical responsibilities of writers toward their source material.
The cast features Evangelos Arabatzis, Dimitrios Koutsoukos and Donna Dimovski-Kantarovski, supported by an experienced creative team including Green Room Award-winning set designer Peter Mumford and lighting designer Greg Carroll.
Petsinis is widely recognised for his work as a novelist, poet and playwright, with previous stage productions including The Drought, Salonika Bound and Hypatia’s Circle. Director Ms Johns has been published six times by Currency Press and is known for her work directing contemporary Australian theatre productions across the country.
Performances will take place from Wednesday to Saturday at 7.30pm, with a Sunday matinee performance at 4pm.
Event Details:
- What: Zorba’s Last Dance
- Where: Greek Centre, 168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
- When: June 10–14, 2026
- Times: Wednesday–Saturday at 7.30pm, Sunday at 4pm
