OCHLOS, OCHLOS, OCHLOS

At the threshold between human and animal—goat legs, human torso—two hybrid creatures from ancient mythology appear to summon the Demos and reopen the people’s assembly. They arrive at the eleventh hour, at a time when old rituals are losing their meaning and many are beginning to question their purpose.

Thousands of people gather on a muddy hill to set an archaic protocol in motion: sacrifice, speeches, voting… followed by music and dance. A democratic “Woodstock” comes to life! But not everyone came to participate. Not everyone believes this is how one should govern. Some simply do not know what to do. But the Demos knows what to do with them, and the ostracism vote begins. What starts as a ritual reenactment of a single day in the Athenian assembly gradually transforms into something much more contemporary.

Ochlos Ochlos Ochlos is a participatory theatrical fable that folds ancient mythology into contemporary politics. By restaging the Athenian ekklesia, the performance explores how the creation of a collective "we" simultaneously produces a new outside—those who remain beyond the border. If democracy promises inclusion, what happens when it begins to protect itself through exclusion?

Concept, scenography, directing: Jan Mocek
Created with: Halka Třešňáková, Arseniy Mikhaylov, Tinka Avramova
Performed by: Arseniy Mikhaylov, Tinka Avramova
Music: Matouš Hekela
Lighting, sound: Ondřej Růžička
Choreography: Petra Hauerová
Costumes: Ellen Pávková
Production: Táňa Švehlová, SixHouses z.s.
Artistic advice: Sodja Lotker
Photos: Adéla Vosičková

Jan Mocek
Jan Mocek is a theatre artist working within Prague’s (in)dependent theatre scene. His performative essays blend elements of pop culture, politics and personal experience to speak about the times we are living in. In other words, he sees the gold where everyone else smells shit. His work focuses on opening up difficult themes in all their ambiguity, while offering carefully composed moments of beauty. Mocek’s work has been presented at national and international festivals and venues, among them Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Komuna Warszawa, Toplocentrala, Fast Forward Dresden, Rehearsal for Truth NYC, Submerge Digital Arts festival Bristol, and 4+4 Days in Motion Prague. Jan Mocek is a member of IN-SITU - European Platform for Artistic Creation in Public Space. SixHouses is a production platform directed by Tana Svehlova, it provides complex production support for Jan Mocek´s projects.
www.janmocek.org