Greece’s most widely travelled theatrical production arrives for one night only at the southernmost tip of Evia Island, promising an unforgettable evening of theatre and music by the sea!
Wednesday, 5 August 2026
21:15
Karystos Municipal Open-Air Theatre
* With English surtitles
The cultural event of the summer in Karystos, featuring Greece’s most widely travelled theatrical production
With strong support from the local community and advance ticket sales already gathering pace, Lemon is preparing to drop anchor in Karystos for the very first time. Due to exceptionally high demand, audiences are advised to secure their tickets early.
Some August nights remain etched in our memories because they gave us the rare feeling of having truly lived through an experience. Wednesday, 5 August, at the Open-Air Theatre promises to be one of them.
Not simply because audiences will see the award-winning theatrical production Lemon, which this year celebrates eight years of travelling, having welcomed 26,500 spectators across almost 200 performances between land and sea.
Not simply because they will be moved by the universal story of the legendary pianist 1900, who was born aboard a ship and never once stepped ashore for the rest of his life.
Not simply because they will hear the music of the Ocean rise from Lemon’s original piano, which has travelled with Melachrinos Velentzas to every corner of Greece and to some of the most unexpected places on the map: beside a river, in front of a waterfall, at sea and on the shores of a lake.
Not simply because the story will bring to mind Giuseppe Tornatore’s celebrated film The Legend of 1900, starring Tim Roth in the leading role.
Nor simply because audiences will journey across an ocean of emotions, moving from humor to tenderness and from joy to nostalgia.
But because they will experience all of this together, as though they were passengers aboard the same ship—one capable, even if only for 70 minutes, of carrying them to the place where they feel happiest.
On Wednesday, 5 August, Lemon will be performed for the 198th time. Karystos Open-Air Theatre feels as though it were created especially for the production: the edge of the theatre meets the waves, while the story of the Ocean’s greatest pianist unfolds along the natural boundary where land gives way to sea.
As with every performance of Lemon, the ending will be different. This time…
The Story
The story unfolds at the beginning of the twentieth century aboard the steamship Virginian, as it makes its transatlantic voyage from Europe to America. A newborn baby, abandoned by his immigrant parents, is discovered inside a lemon crate resting on the grand piano in the first-class ballroom.
The sailor who finds him gives the child his own name, Danny Boodmann, together with the nickname T.D. Lemon, inspired by the lemon crate, and the number 1900, marking the year in which he was found. Danny Boodmann T.D. Lemon 1900 would go on to become the greatest pianist ever to play upon the Ocean. His only friend, the trumpeter Tim Tooney, urges him to leave the ship and step ashore, so that he may discover another way of life.
Conceived, artistically directed and produced by performer, pianist and producer Melachrinos Velentzas, Lemon continues for an eighth consecutive year to find its stage primarily in decentralised areas, making art accessible in parts of Greece where opportunities for cultural experiences are limited.
The multidisciplinary creator presents Lemon in unconventional settings between land and sea, shaping a unique experience for audiences—even in places where a cultural event is being staged for the very first time.
Information
Lemon in Karystos for the first time
Wednesday, 5 August 2026 | 21:15
Karystos Municipal Open-Air Theatre
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Tickets: €12 — General Admission. By purchasing a ticket, you are not simply securing a seat in the theatre. You are actively supporting a different cultural vision—one committed to decentralising the arts and making them accessible in every corner of Greece.
The performance will be presented with English surtitles and is also highly recommended for children aged six and above. . After the performance, a discussion will take place with the two actors of Lemon.
Online Advance Ticket Sales
https://www.more.com/gr-el/tickets/theater/tour/lemon2026-2027/
In-Person Advance Ticket Sales
Niro Bookshop, 118 Kriezotou Street, Karystos
Telephone reservations: 6977 77 38 75, Mr Lefteris Douros
Information: melachrinos.velentzas@gmail.com
Creative Team
Author: Alessandro Baricco
Translation: Stavros Papastavrou
Adaptation – Direction – Movement: Georgia Tsagkaraki
Concept – Artistic Direction – Stage Adaptation: Melachrinos Velentzas
Set Design: Natasa Tsintikidi
Piano Construction: Thomas Marias
Costumes: Kelly Stamatopoulou
Sound – Lighting: Lefteris Douros
Melachrinos Velentzas as 1900 & Giorgos Drivas as Tim Tooney
Production: Melachrinos Velentzas
