Award-winning director Avranas presents the play “Gagarin Way”.

The scenario is about to the disappearance of socialism from an area where political radicalism was once the characteristic of the local population.

Actors Vakousis Manos, Michael Moulakakis, Costas Antalopoulos and Stefanos Kosmidis interpret the characters of the play, which will premiere at the Theater Vasilakou on 17 January.

The show focusing on an "imminent revolution that we all expect, but which never comes'', in a humorous manner.

"Political theater has always been the intention of the intervention. Maybe you can not change things. But it can definitely try to show how real the situation is and, if able, to awaken the conscience of even a single viewer. It is not enough simply to repeat old stories and to resort to the old ways, even though they worked well in the past. Neither is it sufficient to say what the audience needs to hear'', said Alexandros Avranas.

The spicy, caustic text attempts to raise questions about morals, political activism, violence and apathy. For the 37 year old director, “Gagarin Way” is a picture of the present, and as well as our future. "It tells us how things are in the era of globalization and multinational capitalism, and how ordinary people, who are not mere statistics on the papers of technocrats, are not simply drifted by these socio-economic conditions, but have been mutated and have eaten each other'', he adds.

The work premiered in 2001 in Edinburgh and since then has been translated into 20 languages and has been shown all around the world.

The translation of the play is signed by Alexandros Balamoti and Costas Peroulis. The sets and costumes are curated by Evangelia Therianou and the lighting by Olympia Mytilineou.

Avranas studied at the Universitat der Kunste Berlin and his directorial credits include his debut feature "Without" in 2008 and the short documentary"Home Made"in 2010.

Putting on the screen this kind of story is a "big challenge'', according to the director, because"it was very important to be respectful in front of the people living in this situation, and the use of violence was a risk for the director too''.

As part of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival in 2008, in the award ceremony of the State Film Awards, Avranas won the grand prize of the evening, best fiction feature, as well as five other prizes with his first feature film entitled «Without». Among the awards was that for best new director. The film however never aired in Greek theaters.

Five years later, the director participated in the Venice Film Festival with his new film, “Miss Violence»”, winning the Silver Lion (Best Director). Avranas was also the co -writer and co-producer of film. The latter is an allegory on the current situation in Greece, through the story of a dysfunctional family.

“Miss Violence” was also honored at the same festival with the prize Arca CinemaGiovani, which awards committee is made of 70 young people, between 18 and 26 years. A further distinction of the film was the award Fedeora, for best European film awarded by the Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean. Finally, actor Themis Panos received the Volpi Cup for Best actor for his work in the film.