Written by Marios Pontikas

Directed and adapted by Manos Tsotras

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"Pantazis? Tomorrow, sir. We're closed now. We're on strike. Tomorrow."

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A typical confrontation between our unseen protagonist, Pantazis, and the Greek bureaucracy.

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Meanwhile, at the taverna, all worries are forgotten...

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Written in 1979, "Internal Affairs" is a comic and vitriolic satire of the lifestyle of modern Greeks. 35 years later, this play remains as timely as ever, resonating with the current economic and political crisis afflicting the country. Taking the form of a series of sketches, it presents a collage of Greek society, exaggerating its pathologies and at times shocking prejudices. A society in decline. This deeply humanitarian play addresses issues relevant to modern societies beyond the borders of Greece.

With the current crisis, the internal affairs of Greece have frequently featured on the British news. By putting on this play, Greeks in Oxford are telling their own story, providing interesting and surprising insights. They are making their own news. Yet the play is not simply about Greece. It holds a mirror to all of us, reflecting our own reactions back with a greater intensity.

This new initiative of the Oxford University Greek Society was the first time that a contemporary Greek play has been presented in Oxford in the original language.

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"Internal Affairs" was shown at the Simpkins Lee Theatre, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford,

14-17 May, 2014.