The Greek National Opera Alternative Stage’s first production for 2026 brings to Greece the fascinating play Ben and Imo by the renowned writer Mark Ravenhill, one of the most radical voices in British theatre. The work “brings to life” the true story of the passionate and often turbulent relationship between two of the most influential music figures of the 20th century, Benjamin Britten and Imogen Holst. A moving story of creative collaboration and emotional intensity, the ambitious new production of Ben and Imo, directed and translated by Giorgos Skevas, will be presented at the GNO Alternative Stage in the SNFCC for fifteen performances, from 22 January to 14 February 2026. The leading roles will be performed by Aris Balis and Angeliki Papathemeli.

We are in 1952, a while before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. To celebrate this occasion, Benjamin Britten has nine months to compose a new opera, Gloriana, about the new queen’s predecessor, Queen Elizabeth I. In this stressful environment, an enthusiastic and full-of-energy person invades his life: Imogen Holst – the daughter of composer Gustav Holst, who is also an established composer and music teacher herself. Ben has invited her to help him compose the opera. Imo’s sincere and practical attitude serves as the perfect counterbalance to the irritable and quirky Britten. What starts as a professional relationship transforms, through conflicts and disputes, into a strong, friendly, and collaborative bond that not only leads the opera Gloriana to its premiere but also lasts for the rest of their lives.

In Ben and Imo, prolific writer Mark Ravenhill, who established himself during the 1990s with the in-yer-face Shopping and Fucking, makes a major dramaturgical shift to purely psychological realism. The work was commissioned by BBC3 in 2013 to mark the 100th anniversary of Benjamin Britten’s birth and was initially broadcast in episodes. Ten years later, Ravenhill decided to adapt it for the stage. Thus, in 2024 it was staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Swan Theatre, and in 2025 at the Orange Tree Theatre in London. Ravenhill sets the story at Britten’s house in Aldeburgh in 1952, capturing the relationship between the composer and musician Imogen Holst. The play is based on her diaries and archival materials from the Britten Pears Arts charity – the name Pears belongs to tenor Peter Pears, Britten’s longtime partner, who is often mentioned in the work yet never appears. “I first wrote about Benjamin Britten and Imogen Holst for BBC3 in 2013, to mark the centenary of Britten’s birth.  One artist who has been celebrated and commemorated, one whose life and work have been largely forgotten. During the pandemic, I returned to my research and rebuilt the Ben and Imo material from the ground up to make a new play for the theatre.  I found these two complex and passionate characters – and their commitment to their art – to be a great solace during my lockdown isolation. Their story, I think, still poses urgent questions about how we make art today, notes Mark Ravenhill.

The performance explores the interaction and collaboration between these two unique artists, who, despite being connected through strong musical bonds, simultaneously face the pressure of their personal differences and the social conditions of their time. The setting is Britten’s house in Eastern England, with the sea laid out in front of it.

“What happens when a creator feels they are never good enough? What is the price of failure in an artist’s career? Can conflict boost creativity? The dramaturgy follows the rhythm of progression of a chamber music work. The voices of the two actors serve as contrasting foils to one another, weaving a narrative web that aligns with the music and fascinatingly illuminates the concept of artistic creation”, notes the director Giorgos Skevas, a creator who stands out for his contemplative perspective and a poetic, visual approach to his works.

Simi Tsilali is responsible for the original score and musical supervision of the performance. The set and costumes are designed by Yiannis Katranitsas, and the lighting design was created by Christos Tziogkas.

Aris Balis performs as Ben, and Angeliki Papathemeli portrays Imo.

Featuring the GNO Children’s Chorus, under the direction of Konstantina Pitsiakou, as part of its educational mission.

Brief biographical note
Aris Balis
Born in Patras. He graduated from the Drama School of the National Theatre of Greece in 2012. As an actor, he has collaborated with such directors as Ektoras Lygizos, Dimitris Karantzas, Akillas Karazisis, Yannis Houvardas, George Koutlis, Natasha Triantafylli, Sofia Antoniou, Dimitris Tarlow, Alexandros Efklidis, Blitz, Konstantin Bogomolov, Ludovic Lagarde, Efi Theodorou, Lilly Meleme, Argyro Chioti, Giorgos Skevas, Dimitris Xanthopoulos, Dimitris Agartzidis, Sophia Marathaki in works of the Greek and international repertoire at National Theatre of Greece, Athens Epidaurus Festival, Onassis Stegi, Greek National Opera, Festival d’Avignon, etc. Along with Panagiotis Exarheas and Kornilios Selamsis, they co-created the event Registered which was performed in the GNO Alternative Stage and later at the Katakouzenos House Museum. In 2019 he directed Nikos Karouzos’ Ode Neolithic and Nocturnal to Kronstadt at Bios. In 2022 he directed William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost as part of Parabases, the SNFCC’s Reader’s Theater and in 2024 the performance Giorgis Zarkos: Three Stones, One Display Window, and an Imprisonment as part of the institution ‘All of Greece, One Culture’ 2024.

*The permission for the theatrical presentation of this work was granted by the Greek company THE ARTBASSADOR / Performing Arts Management: https://www.theartbassador.gr/el,  on behalf of the author, Mark RAVENHILL, and his agent, UNITED AGENTS: https://www.unitedagents.co.uk.