ARISTOPHANES NOW – Comedys Celebration

STAMATIS KRAOUNAKIS + SPEIRA SPEIRA

 

Dionysus is the Leader!
From spirituality to eruption
From the purification to the celebration of the Phallus
Fragments of chorus and songs from the eleven comedies of Aristophanes
Basic angle: the music.

Athens:
Peloponnesian War then, economic war now. The pain has been always the
same. During the era of the Great Fall, comedy was responsible of
depicting the decline. The eleven comedies of our ancestor are the
witnesses of the Greek curse.

The lyrics and the music are
blended and Aristophanes now is a great tribute to the city, Democracy
and land that gave birth to the poets. With a small smile on the lips,
the performance beats corruption.

Speira Speira under the
instructions of Stamatis Kraounakis and the special choreography of
Angeliki Stellatou release the memoires of a classical Greek ritual to
Dionysus.

Aristophanes now, after its successful European tour
and its presentation on the holy ground of Small Epidaurus, it is going
to be presented at Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, on Saturday 11th and
Sunday 12th of October 2013.

The awarded Greek scenographer
takis (Chatoupis), who lives and works in London, was the designer of
the total-white costumes and the semi-transparent screens that are
playing Dick Strakers videos (the famous video-designer of Royal Opera
House of London).

Five Greek soloists are playing music for the performance under the instructions of Aris Vlachou.

—–

Kraounakis
music has a definitive Greekness. It draws on the operatic, traditional
folksong, Orthodox Church music, modern laiki and the pulsing rhythms
of rock, taking something from every aspect of Greek music. It is
splendidly sung by a company that not only have strong voices but are
good movers, and all very personable. You dont have to understand what
they are singing to be caught up in its feeling and its great sense of
fun for Angeliki Stellatous choreography is often wickedly witty.
Review by Howard Loxton for «Αristophanes now» that was presented in
London on 17th and 18th of April 2013 at RADA STUDIOS RΟYAL ACADEMY OF
DRAMATIC ART – British Theatre Guide

Production Credits
Lyrics: Κ.Χ. Miris + Lina Nikolakopoulou + Stamatis Kraounakis
Instructions: Stamatis Kraounakis
Music: Stamatis Kraounakis, Aris Vlachos, Kostas Baltatzanis
Choreography, Motion: Angeliki Stellatou
Scenery + Costumes: takis
Video Art: Dick Straker

Musical Arrangement: Aris Vlachos
Front Sound: Kostas Sotiriou
Stage Sound: Yannis Roussos
Lightings: Dimitris Stigkas
Executive Producer: Eleni Syropoulou
Marketing, Promotion: Despoina Kraounaki

Piano: Aris Vlachos
Saxophone: Yannis Papanastasiou
Drums + Percussion: Spyros Panayotopoulos
Electric + classical guitar: Dimitris Siampos
Bouzouki: Nikos Katsikis

Cast
Stamatis Kraounakis

Speira Speira
Kostas Bougiotis
Parthena Chorozidou
Christos Gerontidis
Babis Gousias
Anastasia Eden
Jerome Kalouta
Sakis Karathanasis
Christos Moustakas
Yorgos Stivanakis