''Greek Tragedy'' is a 1989 play by
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
playwright Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and further at the Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design ...
, about the troubled relationship of a Greek couple Alex and Calliope.
History
The play was originally presented at Company B
Belvoir Street Theatre
Belvoir is an Australian theatre company based at the Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney, Australia, originally known as Company B. Since 2016 and its artistic director is Eamon Flack.
The theatre contains a 330-seat Upstairs Theatre and a 80-seat ...
, Sydney Australia. It was devised by
Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and further at the Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design ...
with six Australian actors who were chosen after extensive auditions. The actors were
Zoe Carides
Zoe Carides (born 19 February 1962) is an Australian actress of film and television, who is best known for her roles in '' Death in Brunswick'' as Sophie, ''G. P.'' as Dr. Sonia Kapek and ''Grass Roots'' as Liz Murray.
Family
Carides was born ...
, Khristina Totos, Stan Kouros,
George Spartels
George Bernard Spartels (born 25 April 1954) is an Australian actor, presenter, director, playwright and children's musician of Greek descent on his father's ancestry, and English and Irish on his mother's. He remains best known for his role on ...
, Evodkia Katahanas and
Nicholas Papademetriou
Nicholas Papademetriou is an Australian actor of Greek Cypriot descent with many television, film and theatre credits. He is a graduate of Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He has had an extensive career in film and television sinc ...
.
The production was a landmark production for Company B as it is the only play to be devised by
Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and further at the Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design ...
in Australia. It was one of the biggest successes of the theatre year and was subsequently invited to do seasons at the
Edinburgh Festival
__NOTOC__
This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...
and London's
Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with director Joan Littlewood, whose ...
in 1990.
In 2002 the play was remounted by TheatronGroup with some of the original cast, plus
Elena Carapetis,
Deborah Galanos
Deborah Galanos is an Australian actress of Greek heritage and a National Institute of Dramatic Art acting degree graduate. Before NIDA, Galanos attended Sydney University and UNSW studying Arts & Law. She has appeared in many theatre, television ...
and Adam Hatz, in the Downstairs Theatre of
Belvoir Street Theatre
Belvoir is an Australian theatre company based at the Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney, Australia, originally known as Company B. Since 2016 and its artistic director is Eamon Flack.
The theatre contains a 330-seat Upstairs Theatre and a 80-seat ...
. The play runs for one hour and twenty minutes without an interval.
Original cast
*
Zoe Carides
Zoe Carides (born 19 February 1962) is an Australian actress of film and television, who is best known for her roles in '' Death in Brunswick'' as Sophie, ''G. P.'' as Dr. Sonia Kapek and ''Grass Roots'' as Liz Murray.
Family
Carides was born ...
* Khristina Totos
* Stan Kouros
*
George Spartels
George Bernard Spartels (born 25 April 1954) is an Australian actor, presenter, director, playwright and children's musician of Greek descent on his father's ancestry, and English and Irish on his mother's. He remains best known for his role on ...
* Evodkia Katahanas
*
Nicholas Papademetriou
Nicholas Papademetriou is an Australian actor of Greek Cypriot descent with many television, film and theatre credits. He is a graduate of Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He has had an extensive career in film and television sinc ...
Plays by Mike Leigh
1989 plays
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