Napoleontia by Andreas Staikos, directed by Anastasia Koumidou
Mon Repos – Rena Vlahopoulou Theatre
Saturday, September 7, 2019 at 9.15pm
Critics wrote about the show:
“A group of five brilliant theatre actors give breath to Andreas Staikos’ play, under the brilliant
direction of Anastasia Koumidou” Christie Couniniotis, journalist
“The stage direction, a piece of embroidery well-crafted with theatrical imagination, goes
hand-in-hand with the spirit of, the important playwright, Andreas Staikos’ word.” Kostas
Logaras, novelist
“This is a well-designed theatre show, with operatic shades and elegant movement.” Christina
Kokkota, Member of the Greek Theatre Reviewers’ Board
“We discovered a “diamond gem” last Thursday at the Volos Festival! Α well tuned show,
amazing actors and a different fresh viewpoint on Andreas Staikos’ NAPOLEONTIA” (George
Touloumakos, Volos Festival)
Following a very successful run at Epicentro+ Theatre in Patras and an acclaimed performance
at the International Volos Festival, where it has been reviewed as the “diamond gem of the
Festival,” the stellar period comedy NAPOLEONTIA written by the modern Greek playwright
Andreas Staikos, and directed by Anastasia Koumidou, will be performed at MON REPOS
theatre in Kerkyra, for a single engagement on Saturday September 7, 2019 at 9.15 pm.
NAPOLEONTIA is a stunningly smart, well-crafted period comedy that although written in 2007,
its story unfolds during the time of King Otto’s regiment in Greece, in 1833. During that time, the
manners of the West, together with the new King and his entourage, invaded the reality of the
Greek customs and everyday life. Two worlds clashed and coexisted at the same time, fancy
dresses and hats versus the traditional Greek foustanela (the pleaded skirts of the 19c.
warriors), waltzes versus traditional Greek music (tsamika), heighted language versus rural
dialects, enlightenment versus religion. The awarded director Anastasia Koumidou, keeps
working on her favorite era and aesthetics of the Enlightenment Period in Greece. Her aesthetic
viewpoint of the play is filled with music and songs, dances and comic gangs juxtaposing the
historical crossroads of the 19 th century which leads to the 21th century current reality.
THE PLAY
The story travels back to Nafplio in 1835. The Giannopoulos family of the Greek diaspora living
in the Italian borders city Trieste, return to Greece together with their ambitious maid Maroulia.
Their daughter, named by her father Napoleontia, offers accommodation and work to an old
warrior of the 1821 Greek Revolution, named Haldoupis. Haldoupis will soon become an exhibit
in the Museum, all the ladies of the family will be in love with the same waltz dancer, and the
maid will be upgraded to a full family member.
On the traces of French writer Marivaux, Andreas Staikos recreates on the stage a hilarious play
criticizing the new social cast and customs of the 19 th century Greece.
Actors (in order of appearance)
Nina Toumazatos, Palaiologos Halidas, Efie Preka
Ioanna Stefanatos, George Katsambas
Collaborators:
Playwright: Andreas Staikos
Stage Directing: Anastasia Koumidou
Original score: Paris Paraschopoulos
Lighting Design: Nikos Sotiropoulos
Costume Design: Maria Vassilakis
Movement: Zahari Achileopoulos
‘Napoleontia” Logo: Aris Hathaway
Poster Design: Filippos Botonis | Aris Sobotis
Production Management: Ilia Ragkou
Production: Epicenton+ Theatre
Single performance engagement in Kerkyra: Mon Repos, Saturday, September 7 2019, at
9.15 pm