Nostalgia, Marrickville and music, I got a sneak peek at an amazing new production by Alex Lykos and it’s going to be historic. This is a show that will transport audiences back to an era of Patris, struggling Greek migrants, romance, rebetika and the meaning of family.
I sat at the Greek owned Factory Theatre in Marrickville the other night and I was blown away by the cast and a fantastic array of musos.
I watched and marvelled, inspired even, as Tina Kokkalis, Sylvia Dritsakis, Peter/Panagiotis Mangafas and singer-turned-actor Lefteris Ganas showed their talents, chemistry and what I believe will be a production that will draw the audience into the vision that Alex Lykos has created. That vision is to take us on a journey from the era of Patris onward.
Life Ends Here – I ZOI ETHO TELIONI will be one the best shows you’ll see this century, I have no doubt. I took local artist Kasane Low with me, she’s joined me for other Lykos productions including Neanderthal. She is a barometer of great art/production and her positive reaction, a non-Greek, was all that I needed to know that this is nostalgia personified, a HUGE hit in the making.
Lykos asked me if I wanted to sit through the second act…. There was no way I was leaving. I was hooked from stellar performances of Act One, performances complimented by the live soundtrack of my Greek youth, and voices that will leave you gasping for more. Music and song are a major focal point of the production, and the entire cast pull it off perfectly.
Tina is a voice that you will want to hear over and over, and she of course is a singer, yet youngster and first-time actor Peter Mangafas is one to keep an eye on. Straight out of St Spyridon, Peter has a big future ahead. He plays the son/grandson with aplomb and gels effortlessly with Lykos on stage. More about these fine actors shortly.
I noticed a familiar face next to the director’s, the mother in the production, played by the talented Sylvia Dritsakis. She spent a number of years working in the stage shows and film for Alex & Eve. Her return to working with Lykos is smooth and seamless, her ability to bring out a sense of sadness and despair at losing her husband will touch the audiences. I was really moved.
What I enjoyed about the rehearsal was that I was watching live music, great acting and themes that resonate. Alex in his usual clever writing ways is also adept at reflecting on some modern-day issues. He also highlights his love of the mighty Bulldogs, and builds on his Inner West connection especially Marrickville. As the writer, Lykos wants to navigate the complexities of grief while planning the funeral with his mother and son. “We come together to honour our patriarch, (ensuring) memories unfold across three generations — revealing the moments, milestones, and deep cultural ties that have shaped the family.”
In many ways this is the perfect tribute to Lykos’ own late father who passed away two years ago, a man who will always be in Alex’s heart.
“My parents sacrificed their lives to give me a better life. I’ve been reflecting on his life and want to tell this story which I hope honours not only his life, but all those who migrated to Australia to give their children a better life,” he explained to me. Mr Lykos would be proud of his son.
This heartfelt story blends drama, comedy, dance, and the timeless laika classics of Kazantzidis, Dionysiou, Tsitsanis and more – performed live on stage by Sydney’s finest Greek musicians. John Zaharis, John Logothetis, Sam Christodoulides, Perry Tsepetzis will be on stage playing live, and from what I heard, they will certainly have our feet and hearts tapping.
After the impressive rehearsal I sat down with each member for their thoughts.
Lefteris Ganas
I knew of Thessaloniki born Lefteris Ganas from live in Lockdown sessions, a talented singer. What I didn’t know is that he is new to acting. The owner of Factory Theatre introduced Lykos and the singer. When Lefteris explained that he had never acted before, I said BS!! We laughed.
“I’ve been on stages since 1976, this makes the transition easier. I’m comfortable on the stage, I am embracing something new, exciting. I have also lived the nostalgia that the show is based on. We came here for a better life in 1968. My mother was already here, I arrived as a 14-year old.”
Lefteris hopes the audience can see the experiences and the years that the community arrived in Australia. “We also want to make them laugh and smile, to listen to great music of the era.”
Sylvia Dritsakis
Was the first to be cast. Having played the mother for Alex & Eve (2009-2016), Sylvia is a mother through and through. A proud one on stage and very proud off it as she talks glowingly of her own daughter who is involved with theatre/arts. Her daughter was part of the back of stage for Alex & Eve, she played a role in one of Lykos’ feature films.
Sylvia was born in Athens. She tells me that she arrived with the Patris as a child in 1969 via Fremantle, then three months in Victoria, which her father describes as some of the best months of his life. My jaw dropped, mostly because she looks far too young, but also of the incredible connection to the vision that Lykos has shown. Patris is mentioned in the musical, and it remains a poignant reminder to us all of the struggle of Greeks in that era. Patris themed images are part of some of the Greek murals in Marrickville, murals which Kasane, along with many others including artist Ox King, helped develop.
Sylvia tells me the production allows her to feel emotion; she’s really felt it during the process. Audiences will similarly be touched. When you see Sylvia on stage, you will empathise with the heartbreak of the mother, a mother who has lost some of her identity without her husband. Many of elders will go through this or already have.
Peter Mangafas
Is engaging on stage and off. He enthuses about Alex, “he does so many things at once, yet he still makes a production like this.” I explained that Alex also teaches maths during the week. At that moment we turned to Alex and the young actor gave Alex a complicated mathematics Pythagoras calculation which he instantly answered to our amazement.
Sylvia chimes in again to help us focus on music. She reminds us that the music of the 50s and 60s were on a level that no era can match. This is not lost on the cast who will deliver the songs beautifully to what is looking likely to be sellout nights.
Peter reminds me that he also plays bouzouki. “Thanks to bouzouki, I listen to these songs every day from Mitropanos to Kazanzidis, and also from my Pappou and Dad. I could sing even before I could talk.”
Tina Kokkalis
Like Lefteris she’s a Greek singer. She excels in that genre, and similar to Peter, Tina had never acted in theatre, except for a school musical. Had I not asked, I would never have known as she is a natural. She plays the funeral director in the production. “I read the script and it was a story I connected with due to my musical background.” Yet Tina was actually a lawyer who “fell into music due to her entry into a Greek music contest 20 years ago. I spent many years singing, occasional support act for some of the Greek singers such as Vertis, Terzis. I have always enjoyed Greek music.”
I asked Tina how she felt about the nostalgia. “The script spoke to me. My Dad migrated to Australia on the Patris too. Mum flew in a few years later. The story celebrates that generation, sacrifices they made for us. My parents had a fish shop; they worked hard for us. The music ties into the era beautifully, bringing another dynamic to the story.”
Tina emphasises that generations will connect with what is presented. She tells me her Dad was a Bulldogs supporter “as it’s a blue and white team!”
The show debuts at the end of March and those shows are already a sellout. Hopefully the show will go national. Lykos is happy with what his talented cast and great musos have been able to create thus far. He is proud and with his own personal story driving the vision behind the show, our community and those in the broader community will see what it was like for these migrants in the heart of Hellenism of Marrickville and Australia. Alex goes out of his way to pay tribute to the venue owners who make him feel welcome and are there for him at rehearsals. He finds time to plug Steki Taverna and highlights some of the various places our parents, and my own generation frequented. It’s nostalgia, and also a sense of gratitude to the heroes in his own family and our community and for all those who stuck together.
Additional shows at the Factory Theatre, Marrickville on 3, 4 April, more to be announced.
For further information visit our Greek Guide events page.
*Billy Cotsis is the author of 1453 Constantinople & the Immortal Rulers
