French director Patrice Chereau was the winner of the 12th Europe Theater Prize, receiving his award from Greek culture minister Michalis Liapis during an awards ceremony Sunday night in Thessaloniki, organiser of the 2008 event.

   "In my person, you honor not only an individual, but everyone I love and have worked with," Chereau said as he received his award.

   Former French culture minister Jack Lange said later that very few embodied the European Ideal as did Chereau, and also spoke of his "eternal friend Melina Mercouri", the late actress and former Greek culture minister, who spearheaded the campaign for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece from the British Museum, for which Lange reitereated his staunch support.

   The awards ceremony opened with a greeting by Liapis, who stressed that support of this top European institution, which encourages the consolidation of a "common theatrical language among the European peoples" did not simply meet fully the ministry's strategy but was also one of its fundamental components.

   The prize for New Theatrical Realities was shared by Polish director Krzysztof Warlikowski for "Cleansed", and by the Rimini Protokoll Theater group (Germany's entry) for their production of Stefan Kaegi's "Mnemopark".

   "The awards, I fell, add a gray strand to the recipient's hair...I've been searching my hair since yesterday as I was preparing to receive the award," joked the 45-year-old Warlikowski, who enthused the public with his avant-garde production of Sarah Kane's play.

   The event was organised and hosted by the National Theater of Northern Greece.

   The Europe Theatre Prize was created in 1986 as a pilot programme of the European Commission and it has been recognised by the European Parliament and Council as a "European cultural interest organisation". The Union of European Theatres and the European Theatre Convention are associate and supporting bodies; other associate bodies are the International Association of Theatre Critics, the Mediterranean Theatre Institute and the International Theatre Institute UNESCO.  

   Caption: Greek Culture Minister Michalis Liapis (L) hands over to French director Patrice Chereau (R) the 12th European Theatre Prize on Sunday 13 April 2008 in Thessaloniki.ANA-MPA/MEGAPRESS