Paul Virides
@paulvirides.bsky.social
Theatrical, mostly via paulvirides.com, and also now on Substack: paulvirides.substack.com. Producer, general manager, all-around spreadsheet-wrangler. Also: politics (UK/US), literature, video games, baking, cat pictures, tennis. London-born Greek. he/him
A huge part of the problem is ACE funding discourages anything that looks like “high” pay and most applications severely underestimate the workload required. And producers, GMs and creatives are very rarely properly paid for prep time or for incidentals like post-press night visits. We gotta fix it.
July 26, 2025 at 10:07 AM
A huge part of the problem is ACE funding discourages anything that looks like “high” pay and most applications severely underestimate the workload required. And producers, GMs and creatives are very rarely properly paid for prep time or for incidentals like post-press night visits. We gotta fix it.
If you want to counter the (completely overstated) “rise of Reform”, you do it by engaging in debate and leadership and making the case for an alternative way forward. Not cowing to insincere, headline-grabbing garbage just to try and win over some racists who will never vote for you anyway.
May 12, 2025 at 10:19 PM
If you want to counter the (completely overstated) “rise of Reform”, you do it by engaging in debate and leadership and making the case for an alternative way forward. Not cowing to insincere, headline-grabbing garbage just to try and win over some racists who will never vote for you anyway.
Starmer’s speech was a disgraceful addendum to his already zealously populist, ideologically barren government.
This isn’t what Labour is for and it’s a punch in the face to hundreds of good MPs and thousands of party members who are now stuck defending it for fear of being purged. It’s obscene.
This isn’t what Labour is for and it’s a punch in the face to hundreds of good MPs and thousands of party members who are now stuck defending it for fear of being purged. It’s obscene.
May 12, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Starmer’s speech was a disgraceful addendum to his already zealously populist, ideologically barren government.
This isn’t what Labour is for and it’s a punch in the face to hundreds of good MPs and thousands of party members who are now stuck defending it for fear of being purged. It’s obscene.
This isn’t what Labour is for and it’s a punch in the face to hundreds of good MPs and thousands of party members who are now stuck defending it for fear of being purged. It’s obscene.
If that all sounds baffling, I urge you to spend a little time engaging with Melina Mercouri, Manos Hatzidakis, Mikis Theodorakis & Yannis Varoufakis - not cos they’re the best examples, but because they’re the ones who’ve exported it to the English speaking world far more eloquently than me. (Fin)
March 19, 2025 at 3:27 PM
If that all sounds baffling, I urge you to spend a little time engaging with Melina Mercouri, Manos Hatzidakis, Mikis Theodorakis & Yannis Varoufakis - not cos they’re the best examples, but because they’re the ones who’ve exported it to the English speaking world far more eloquently than me. (Fin)
It’s SO powerful to see it playing out. Pride in the flag or folk music or local history isn’t something they’re embarrassed about. It isn’t something they use to bludgeon people with. It’s just “there”. An assumed truth. And no right winger can claim to be the only one who cares for the country.
March 19, 2025 at 3:27 PM
It’s SO powerful to see it playing out. Pride in the flag or folk music or local history isn’t something they’re embarrassed about. It isn’t something they use to bludgeon people with. It’s just “there”. An assumed truth. And no right winger can claim to be the only one who cares for the country.
No doubt Greece is generally more right wing than the UK and has had multiple problems with fascism over the last 100 years (including 2 govts and a recently banned party), but national pride isn’t “owned” by the right. The left own it too, perhaps even more purely and unabashedly.
March 19, 2025 at 3:27 PM
No doubt Greece is generally more right wing than the UK and has had multiple problems with fascism over the last 100 years (including 2 govts and a recently banned party), but national pride isn’t “owned” by the right. The left own it too, perhaps even more purely and unabashedly.
Greeks are so confident about the importance of their (our) culture, but (in the bohemian parts of Athens at least) also fiercely interested in social justice, the power of the arts and the values of liberty and freedom.
March 19, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Greeks are so confident about the importance of their (our) culture, but (in the bohemian parts of Athens at least) also fiercely interested in social justice, the power of the arts and the values of liberty and freedom.
It’s magnificent! (The Parthenon, although the podcast too hehe)
March 19, 2025 at 9:49 AM
It’s magnificent! (The Parthenon, although the podcast too hehe)
Offensive isn’t it???
March 18, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Offensive isn’t it???
🙈 it’s been an emotional day!! I cannot emphasise how wonderful it is to hear a GREEK telling the stories of Greece for once (no shade to the QI guy of course 🙃). PS that intro song has been swirling round my head all day. Magnifique. Or should I say θαύμα!
March 18, 2025 at 6:37 PM
🙈 it’s been an emotional day!! I cannot emphasise how wonderful it is to hear a GREEK telling the stories of Greece for once (no shade to the QI guy of course 🙃). PS that intro song has been swirling round my head all day. Magnifique. Or should I say θαύμα!
Just in time for my trip to Athens 🇬🇷!
March 3, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Just in time for my trip to Athens 🇬🇷!