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“Anchors Aweigh” by Thanasis Papathanasiou and Michalis Reppas
DIRECTED BY: Asterios Peltekis
 
VENUE: Pallas Theatre
DATES: 19 - 28 April 2024

 
*Shots are heard during the performance, which also features strobe lighting.
 
 
After the great success of the show in Thessaloniki and the rave reviews it received from audience and critics, “Anchors Aweigh” is presented at Pallas Theatre in Athens with a great ensemble of actors, musicians and dancers.
   

Α FEW WORDS ABOUT THE PLAY
 
“Anchors Aweigh” is a homage to the Theatrical Review penned by Thanasis Papathanasiou and Michalis Reppas.
 
The play was staged in 1997 by the National Theatre of Greece in honour of this most misunderstood of theatrical genres.
 
Beginning in 1894 with the first Greek review on record, “Ligo ap’ ola” (A little bit of everything), the creative duo take us on a journey through time, transporting us to the glamorous world of the Review as its actors and contributors battle for its survival against the backdrop of important historical events.
 
The two playwrights used found material to write the work’s main characters, drawing on autobiographies of great leading ladies of the age, such as Sperantza Vrana, Marika Nezer, Zozo Sapountzaki, and combining it with biographical information about grandes dames of the theatre and stories and/or rumours that did the rounds on the theatre scene.
 
Combining nostalgic atmosphere with humour, “Anchors Aweigh” is a fiction inspired by the history of the Greek stage which brings music, dance and song together in a unique work which has been delighting audiences since it premiered 26 years ago.
 
 
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
 
On the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the first Greek revue performance, the National Theatre of Northern Greece celebrates this unique theatrical genre. It is a genre that emerged from the historical course of the theatre, commencing with Aristophanes and eventually reaching its natural habitat, the place where theatre was born, as a new genre at the beginning of the 20th century, after a tortuous path of many twists and turns as well as loans and counter-loans from various countries and cultures.
 
Reppas and Papathanasiou, a widely loved writing duo, with a brilliant career in contemporary Greek theatre, have made a play based on the history of this very genre, which was at once very well-received by Greek theatre-goers, from its first ever historic performance at the National Theatre in 1997, under the artistic directorship of the late Nikos Kourkoulos and from which featured a number of great protagonists and prominent actors.
 
Approximately thirty years after its first performance, we are honoured to have been granted the rights to stage this wonderful play once more, so that we can recall the beauty of the text, the energy and the laughter it generates as well as the concerns that underpin it. This beautiful journey intersects with the historical journey the long-suffering Greek people made during the course of a “lively” century of two World Wars, a Cold War that “accompanied” us for a long time, but also a series of great intellectual, social, political and technological developments.
 
Through our efforts to render it in the best possible way, we hope that the audience in Thessaloniki embraces this great play. Though this, we aim to offer laughter and entertainment, both of which are extremely valuable nowadays, as well as to create an enjoyable experience of a grand and fine performance by the NTNG, the cradle of culture of Northern Greece.
 
People, energy, dancing, singing, life!!!! Take your seat, lights off and enjoy the performance!!!!
 
Asterios Peltekis
Artistic Director of the NTNG
 
 
CREDITS
Directed by: Asterios Peltekis, Sets: Manolis Pantelidakis, Costumes: Nikos Charlaftis, Orchestration - Sound processing of musical material: Giorgos Andreou, Choreography: Dimitris Papazoglou, Lighting: Stelios Tzolopoulos, Music coaching: Panagiotis Barlas, Video art: Vallentina Kopti, 1st Assistant to the director: Evi Sarmi, 2nd Assistant to the director: Lili Adraskela, Assistant to the set and costume designers: Danai Pana, Associate orchestration: Stergios Gargalas, Assistant choreographers: Stella Eminoglou, Anastasia Kelesi
 
CAST
Iordanis Aivazoglou (Spyros Damaskos | Αrmy)
Mary Andreou   (Liana | Dimitro | Bela| Luvvy I | Actress I | Ougka Zalougka)
Nikoletta Vlavianou (Pavlina Damaskou | Smaro Bizani)
Chara Giota (Girl)
Lefteris Dimiropoulos (Giannis Roumpos | Armandos I | Rightist | Tarzan)
Dimitris Diakosavvas   (Makis Alevizos | Dimitrios Kotopoulis | Station master | Gaston I | Actor | Coffeeman | Actor I)
Zoi Efthymiou   (Young Rosalia | Nicole | Student II  |  Lady IV |  Actress IV  |  Girl)
Pantelis Kanarakis (Jano)
Nikos Kapelios (Vyron Kontaratos, Mikios Lampros, Choreographer, Director)
Angeliki Kintoni (Niki Bempi, Mambo)
Thanos Kontogiorgis (Mantas)
Anna Kyriakidou (Soso Kandyli | Mrs Voula | Army | Young woman)
Christina Konstantinidou (Eleni Kotopouli | Mary Dolly | Rosa | Student III | Girl |  Lady I | Actress III)
Tatiana Melidou (Jenny)
Dimitris Morfakidis (Kostas | Technician | Armandos II | Censor | Leftist | EAMitis)
Christina Bakastathi (Mrs Lamprou | Luvvy III | Actress II | Katerina | Nurse)
Kleio Danai Othonaiou (Rosalia)
Kostas Santas (Antonis Stavropoulos | Actor in “Cosmogonia”)
Spyros Sarafianos (Kostas Pyrgiotis | Stefanos Kandylis)
Evi Sarmi (Marika Kotopouli | Pipitsa | Actress I | Thaleia | Nurse)
Theofano Tzalavra (Kaiti Viva | Actress II | Lady)
Orestis Tziovas (Lampros Rinaldis | Giorgos Sarantos)
Thanos Feretzelis (Accountant | Gaston II | Policeman | Censor | Coffeeman)
Andriana Chalkidi (Fofo Rinaldi | Lady II | Happy week | Mambo)   

DANCER
Stella Eminoglou
 
MUSICIANS ON STAGE
Vasilis Gkagkavouzis (double bass)
Alexios Fourkas (trumpet)
Panagiotis Barlas (piano)
Alekos Papadopoulos (drums)
Orfeas Kanouras (bouzouki)
Spyros Melissanidis (accordion)
 
STUDENTS OF THE NTNG DRAMA SCHOOL
Konstantinos Popovits
Paschalis Terzis