In a small town somewhere in Central Europe, the arrival of Claire Zachanassian, who is returning to her birthplace for the first time in forty-five years, causes quite a stir. The once prosperous place is now sinking into poverty and the townspeople of Güllen see the wealthy Claire as their only hope. She promises to offer them unlimited wealth on one condition: a member of the community must murder Alfred Ill, her former lover, who rejected her and abandoned her with a child. The offer forces an entire community to choose between morality and profit.

In his 1956 tragicomedy, the German-speaking Swiss writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt skilfully employed a series of theatrical techniques, chiefly expressionism and Brechtian narration, to highlight the great contradictions of modern society and to denounce its decadence and depravity. The visit is an allegory about the defeat of morality in its battle with money, and inevitably has relevance for our world today.

Neophytos Taliotis returns to Thoc to share with audiences his own reading of this great, timeless play, which the state theatre first staged in an iconic production in 1988. This year's production brings together set designer Angelos Angeli, composer Michalis Christodoulidis, and a brilliant cast of actors, with Annita Santorinaiou and Stavros Louras in the two main roles.