Nick Whitby comedy ‘To Live or Not to Live?’ premieres at Athens’ Lambeti Theatre

A Greek stage adaptation of Nick Whitby’s comedy “To Live or Not to Live?” – originally a Mel Brooks film – will open at the Lambeti Theatre in Athens in October 2026. The production is directed and adapted by Thanos Papathanasiou and Michalis Repas.

The musical comedy is set in 1941 Poland under German occupation and follows a famous actress who cheats on her husband with a young resistance fighter. The farcical plot expands to involve a German officer, his strict secretary, a double spy, and a host of theatrical characters, creating a whirlwind of mistaken identities and slap‑stick action. The cast includes Dimitra Matsouka, Michalis Repas, Pantelis Kanarakis, Alina Kotsovou, Thanos Birkos, Konstantinos Giannis, Giorgos Depas and Anna Kouri.

The production highlights the tradition of light theatre in Greece, using music, chase scenes, and comic devices to comment on how humour can confront the tragedies of war.