To bury or not to bury? That is the question.

Actor turned playwright Evdokia Katahanas is preparing for the impending opening night of her latest contribution to Australian theatre, The Plot.

Set in a nursing home, the black comedy explores workplace politics through the topical theme of aged care in a society with an ageing population.

“I’m particularly interested in how elderly people are perceived in a social context and the fact that they’re quite invisible,” Ms Katahanas tells Neos Kosmos.

“I wouldn’t enjoy writing anything that wasn’t socially relevant.”

The storyline starts to heat up when character Jacob, an aged care facility resident, dies unexpectedly. Without a clear explanation, the death reflects badly on Lily, the manager of the nursing home, who finds herself in the firing line of her peers and residents.

What ensues is a web of gossip, intrigue, treachery, political manoeuvring and friendship, along with lots of tasty Greek food. Lily must find a way to rise above all the chaos, struggling to survive all the absurdity and savagery that she starts to encounter in her world.

According to the writer, audiences will find themselves faced with perplexing moral and ethical issues, the plight of the aged and the existential fear of death.

“I basically just want to give people something to think about, to come away and think about,” she says.

“There may be a couple of friends that go that have conflicting positions on it. I basically want to elicit some debate and give them a good night out.”

Ms Katahanas can recall being drawn to the theatre from her early teenage years and since enrolling at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) as an acting student has not looked back.

“I just really love the tradition of the theatre. I think it’s the connection with the audience, it’s really exciting,” she says.

Following her graduation in 1983 from the VCA, she has worked solidly as an actor for the majority of her career in theatre productions such as Small Poppies, Wogs Out of Work, The Heartbreak Kid and Night’s Dream.

Now in her 50s, Ms Katahanas has taken it upon herself to explore different avenues of her creative abilities, turning her attention to writing and directing.

And so far the shift has been well received, having co-written Take Away Theatre’s Parthenon Air and The Taming of the Strigla, both of which did very well.

Although The Plot has elements of the Greek culture intertwined into the storyline, like all good writing, the themes explored within the piece are universal, extending beyond ethnicity.

“The only reason that I made it Greek [there’s no Greek in it as such] is because I’ve got a better understanding of the Greek culture, but it could very well be an Italian, an Australian, an Irish. It’s just that I’ve given it that colour.”

Officially opening on Valentine’s Day, the production will run for two weeks at the Mantouridion Theatre in Sydney’s inner-west until Sunday 1 March, 2015.

Directed by Sophie Kelly, the play boasts an all-star cast including Dina Panozzo, Deborah Galanos, Dina Gillespie, Maggie Blinco, Jennifer White, Julie Hudspeth, Nicholas Papademetriou, Matt Charleston and Michael Kotsohilis.

Prepare yourself for the nursing home – a microcosm of the world you live in set before your eyes for you to take in and judge (or not).

The Plot (To Bury or Not to Bury) by Evdokia Katahanas will begin its season from 14 February to 1 March, 2015 at the Mantouridion Theatre, Building 36, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville. Tuesday to Saturday at 8.00 pm and Sundays at 5.00 pm. Tickets: Adult $35/Concession $30/ Children $25/Tuesday all tickets $25. To book tickets, visit www.trybooking.com/GKGW