Mario Banushi

Biography

Mario Banushi is an award-winning theatre director whose artistic practice moves between the familiar and the mythical, memory and family, while expressing itself through a strictly visual and non-verbal theatrical language. Born in Greece and raised in Albania until the age of six, when he returned to Greece, his artistic universe is shaped by the experience of displacement, family narratives and a distinct visual sensitivity. His works unfold without spoken word, inviting the audience into a sensory experience characterized by visual poetry and emotional depth. His early work, “Ragada”, created during the pandemic lockdowns, marked the beginning of a practice that developed outside conventional theatrical spaces. His breakthrough work, “Goodbye, Lindita”, quickly gained international attention, leading to consecutive sold-out performances and invitations from major festivals and theaters around the world. This momentum continued with “Taverna Miresia – Mario Bella Anastasia”, which has toured extensively in Europe, North America and Asia, establishing Banushi as a distinctive voice on the international stage. His most recent work, “MAMI”, further expands his visual and poetic language and was presented at the Avignon Festival, where it received wide critical acclaim. His work has been featured in the “New York Times” and the BBC, and has been reviewed by the newspapers “The Guardian”, “Le Monde” and “Libération”. In 2025, he was honored with the Young Theatre Artist Award from the Union of Greek Theatre and Music Critics, while in 2026 he won the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale.