COW DEER

Cow | Deer, the groundbreaking play by Katie Mitchell, Nina Segal and Melanie Wilson, in the first collaboration between the National Theatre of Greece and the Royal Court Theatre, becomes accessible to blind and low-vision audiences on 9 & 10 January with the support of Alpha Bank in the framework of the “Culture for All” programme and in collaboration with liminal. A performance – invitation to a “more-than-human world”.

On a green background, thin lines are joined by dots to form complex geometric shapes that appear to have a three-dimensional dense form. In the center, in huge black letters that form a ripple, it says: "COW DEER".

Following its triumphant premiere in London on 3 September with a British cast, the production comes to the Nikos Kourkoulos New Stage with a four-member Greek ensemble, inviting audiences to a unique experience of listening to and exploring the “more-than-human world”. The director of the Greek version is Irene Fanarioti.

About the Performance

Cow | Deer is an otherworldly stage experience. A quartet of Greek performers and musicians evoke the lives of two animals, a cow and a deer, with no words, only sound. They narrate their story without words, using only sounds, inviting us to experience the human presence in nature from a new perspective.

An experiment in reorientation: from speech to listening, from hierarchy to cooperation, from the purely human to the broader, multifaceted world of nature.

On a dark stage, four people dressed in dark clothes stand in a row over bundles of wheat and other small objects. In front of them, microphones are aimed at the height of their hands as they move and interact with the objects.
A man in his 40s wearing a black t-shirt is fingering dried grass and some blue plastic garlands that are in a tangle in front of him under microphones. In the background, a blonde woman, equally simply dressed, is watching his movements. The space around them is dark, the light focused only on the man.

Performance’s photos: ©Valeria Isaeva

Initiating a new dialogue between theatre, nature and sound, Cow | Deer transcends human narratives about the climate crisis and focuses on the environment itself: animals, insects and elements of nature are no longer the backdrop to our lives, but equal participants in a fragile ecosystem. Through live Foley effects combined with authentic recordings of natural environments, the performers create an immersive soundscape – the approaching rain, the creaking of branches, the footsteps of animals – in real time.

An experience that allows audiences to hear the world as an animal perceives it and experience a unique closeness to nature.

A gray-haired man drives a car with the window open. The head of a deer is reflected in the rear window. He and the deer seem to be connected in some mysterious way as their heads almost touch through this optical illusion that is created.

Promo photos: Kiki Papadopoulou

A performance that invites the audience not to remain mere spectators, but to attune to their own rhythm, experience an intimate connection with nature, and feel the unrest, fear, and pain it can awaken.

Cow | Deer is a cry of anguish for the environment. Every sound – a breath, a car, the barking of a dog or the chirping of a bird – becomes a reminder that survival is a shared responsibility of all species and not the exclusive privilege of human beings. It is a production that invites us to reconsider our place in the world – not as overlords but as fellow inhabitants of the Earth who exist with respect and care for one another.

A cow and a deer flank a woman and a man in casual clothes, posing hand in hand in a central part of the city among apartment buildings. The animals' presence there in their absolute tranquility has something strange and surreal.
A young woman sitting inside a car turns toward the open window and, with her hand, seems to be trying to grab the camera photographing her. The stern expression on the left side of her face begins to take on animal-like features: a furry ear emerges above her hair, animal fur wraps around one of her eyes, and below that, rows of whiskers appear beside her lips.

Promo photos: Kiki Papadopoulou

Accessibility Services… Reimagined!

Following a different approach aligned with the artistic vision of this production, blind and partially sighted audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy the performances on 9 and 10 January 2026, with accessibility services specifically designed for Cow | Deer.

One hour before the performance, the audience will be guided through the stage and introduced to the Foley techniques with the help of the creators. They will interact with the materials—learning how two chair wheels can mimic an animal’s hooves, how sandpaper can produce the sound of its rough tongue, and more.

At the same time, as this performance is an auditory experience, the Audio Description will follow a different flow, prioritizing the audience’s immersion in the rich soundscape of this delicate story—the unexpected encounter between a deer and a cow.

The accessible performances of Cow | Deer at the National Theatre of Greece, in the framework of the “Culture for All” programme with the support of Alpha Bank, will take place on the following dates and times:

  • Friday 9 and Saturday 10 January 2026 at 20:30, at the Nikos Kourkoulos New Stage – Ziller Building
  • Guided Touch Tour starts at 19:30.

Credits

Concept – Co-Creation: Katie Mitchell, Nina Segal, Melanie Wilson
Direction Collaboration for Greece: Irene Fanarioti
Foley Consultants & Co-Creators of the Foley Score: Ruth Sullivan, Tom Espiner
Set – Costumes: Alex Eales
Lighting: Prema Mehta
Assistant Set & Costume Designer for Greece: Stavroula Papapostolou
Dramaturg: Eva Saraga
Cast (in alphabetical order): Alexandros Zotai, Christos Thanos, Korina Kokkali, Joanna Toubakari

A co-production of the National Theatre of Greece with the Royal Court Theatre

Accessibility Credits

Accessibility Services Design: liminal
Audio Description: Vanessa Kalpia
Editing and Narration: Maria Thrasyvoulidi
Guided Touch Tour: Maria Thrasyvoulidi
Quality Control: Anna Maria Foskolou
Coordination: Christos Papamichail

Useful information

Days and times of accessible performances: Friday 9 and Saturday 10 January 2026 at 20:30
Guided Touch Tour: 1 hour before the start of the performances
Location: Nikos Kourkoulos New Stage – Ziller Building, Ag. Konstantinou 22-24 10437, Athens (Map) Duration: 60′
Tickets for disabled people – Escorts: 5 euros

How to book tickets

Via email: [email protected] 
Telephone reservations at the Group Sales Office: 2107001468 (Monday to Friday: 09.00-15.00)
Ziller Building Box Office: Ag. Konstantinou 22-24 (Wednesday – Sunday: 09.00-21.00)

For assistance with the reservation process, please contact us by email at [email protected].

A co-production

The logo of the National Theatre. On a white background, a black square and a black circle sit side by side, bisected diagonally by a white line, evoking the letters E and Θ, the initials of the National Theatre. At the bottom, “ΕΘΝΙΚΟ ΘΕΑΤΡΟ” is written in uppercase letters in the same black color.
logo of the Royal Court Theatre in bold black letters

The performances are implemented with the support of Alpha Bank, in the framework of its “Culture for All” programme.

The Alpha Bank logo. On a dark blue background appears the white imprint of the reverse side of the Aegina silver stater, one of the first coins of ancient Greece, featuring thick straight lines that intersect.