I WANT A COUNTRY
By Andreas Flourakis
A verbal mosaic of ideas, desires, judgements, doubts, and rationales . . . The text indisputably showcases one and only one protagonist: the crowd . . . Flourakis “transcribes” thoughts, emotions, and perspectives, which — whether liked or detested — remain recognizable to all.
— Eleni Triantafylopoulou, from the introduction to I Want a Country, Greece
Flourakis’ heroes . . . release the inarticulate cry of the deep need to exist without pain.
— Eleni Koutsileou, Avgi, Greece
Its lament for a homeland gone awry, for the security of the past to return . . . is a delicately persuasive one, and Flourakis laces the bittersweetness with occasional laughs to ensure the tone never gets too mordantly dark.
— There Ought to Be Clowns, England
The new generation as a crowd that, against the backdrop of crisis, expresses fear, anxiety, but also sometimes hope and the urgent need for change.
— Olga Sella, Kathimerini, Greece
By rendering the clichés of everyday life theatrically, one can witness an exaggeration of the social ritual.
— Antigone Katsadima, Agrinioculture, Greece
His goal is to show us around the chaotic, hostile, unwelcoming, wounded, helpless “land of men.” Flourakis engages himself . . . with the savage and sacred material of human nature. — Eleni Koutsileou, Avgi, Greece
I Want a Country has been performed in London, Athens, Oxford, New York, Berlin, New Dehli, Mexico City, Zürich; Kraainem, Belgium; Porto, Portugal, and elsewhere.
From the Oxford PRAXIS Theatre Group production, directed by Anastasia Revi. Stage design and graphics by Angeliki Xifara. Lighting design by Yiannis Katsaris. Photographs by Thomas William Zavros.
ABOUT ANDREAS FLOURAKIS
Drawing by Biba Kayewich
I cannot imagine the source — the readings or experiences — from which he combines the most magical elements of naturalism. — Grigoris Ioannidis, Efimerida Ton Syntakton, Greece
He approaches his works with the joy and excitement of a child. — Kaiti Diamantakou, from the introduction to Medea’s Burqa, Greece
Andreas Flourakis has written more than thirty works for theater, which have been widely performed both in Greece and internationally. His accolades include a Fulbright Artists Award and selection by the Janus Project for New Plays and New Playwriting. In 2014 his drama, Strong Knees, was one of a trio of winners of the biennial Eurodram award.
