By George Tserdanis.
Theatre-lovers in Sydney enjoyed four magnificent performances of ‘Opou GIS kai PATRIS’ between 1st and 3rd of March 2024 at the Greek Theatre – Mandouridion in Marrickville.
Organised as part of the 42nd Greek Festival of Sydney, the play was written by the esteemed lawyer and author Konstantinos Kalymnios, and featured the talented duo Stamatis Tzelepis and Elena Tsefala.
The thought-provoking play delved into the essence of the first generation of immigrants, exploring the gradual fading of their unique way of life over time. The audience were also encouraged to remember their own migration journey through references to motherland Greece and the famous Patris, which transported tens of thousands of Greeks to Australia, mainly during the 1960s.
Excellent performances by Tzelepis and Tsefala, who played multiple and varied characters, drew in the audience and led to many moments of light-heartedness and laughter.
A total of four stories (one-act plays) were presented on stage and many spectators wished they could last even longer, so that the theatrical pleasure they offered did not stop.
Upon meeting Mr Kalymnios and learning he was a third generation immigrant born-and-raised in Melbourne, Victoria, I was even more impressed with not only his knowledge of many historical situations and events, but also his writing ability to transfer this knowledge into a theatrical performance with lots of humour and sarcasm.
It’s disappointing there are no more performances of ‘Opou GIS kai PATRIS’ scheduled for Sydney, but people can watch it again in Melbourne next weekend.
For more information on the Greek Festival of Sydney programme and to book tickets to selected events, please visit www.greekfestivalofsydney.com.au
