Harold and Maude in theatres

Satiriko Theatro kicks off its new season with the romantic black comedy Harold and Maude by Colin Higgins. A play about love, loneliness and the relationships of today’s young people with the older generation, the production is directed by known Greek actress, Despina Mbembedeli, who also plays Maude.

A play with one of the most unexpected and sincere love affairs in the history of theatre, of a production that defies the idea of death and was a beacon for a generation in the 1970s. Caring and funny but at the same time dramatic and touching, Harold and Maude “has touched the soul of the audience whenever and wherever it went,” say the production’s organisers.

The story of the two protagonists becomes a symbol of love, of the “free, poetic human”. Its plot is a fun escape from the mundane reality: Harold Chasen is a young man obsessed with death. He stages elaborate fake suicides, attends funerals and drives a hearse, all to the irritation of his socialite mother. His mother sets up appointments with a psychoanalyst, but the analyst is befuddled by the case and fails to get Harold to talk about his real emotions.

At another stranger’s funeral, Harold meets Maude, a 79-year-old woman who shares Harold’s hobby of attending funerals. He is entranced by her quirky outlook on life, which is bright and excessively carefree in contrast with his morbidity. The pair form a bond and Maude shows Harold the pleasures of art and music, and teaches him how to make the most of his time on earth.

Harold and Maude
Performance of Colin Higgins’ original piece. Until February 24. Satiriko Theatre, Nicosia. 8.30pm. Sundays at 6.30pm. €15 / €10. In Greek. Tel: 22-312940, 22-421609.

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