Theatro Technis

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Theatro Technis, Crowndale Road - geograph.org.uk - 675198

Theatro Technis is an off-West End 120-seat, townhouse theatre located in Camden. It was originally founded by George Eugeniou ,[1] (see Wikipedia EN) and a group of actors five decades ago to meet the needs of the Cypriot community through "cultural theatre and educational activities”.[2]

The theatre has since evolved to being a hub of multi-faceted and multi-cultural activities hosting classics, new writing, international plays from overseas companies, live Greek music events , and Greek tragedies and is embedded as a vital part of London`s multi-cultural lanscape .[3] Theatro Technis also holds the annual London Greek Film Festival supported by the Thessaloniki Film Festival and ERT Greek Television.[4][5]

Theatro Technis brings audiences back inside during corona [6]

History[change | change source]

Angelique Rockas as Medea, Theatro Technis, London 1982

Community Theatre[change | change source]

Bloody Guarantors, One In Seven ,The Vandals are Coming, Dowry with Two White Doves,[7] Afrodite Unbound [8] The National Engagement,[9] A Revolutionary Nicknamed Roosevelt,[10] The Best of Tofias, Contract, Hands Tied,Tied Hand, Gringland , Searching for the Lemons, The Fire Burns where it Falls ,and Two Lives” and “Cyprus Trilogy [11][12]

Theatro Technis initiated "1967, Cyprus Week" , an annual festival to highlight the Cypriot culture and way of life in the United Kingdom and to create a greater awareness of the struggle of Cyprus against British colonialism and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus..

Greek Cypriot diaspora dramatists[change | change source]

Theatro Technis has showcased the work of new Greek Cypriot diaspora dramatists like Stavros Lilitos whose work was celebrated with the revival of his The Old Suitcase and Under the Carob Trees in 1979 at Theatro Technis, and performed in both the Greek and English languages.[13]Don Camillo was another play performed in the Greek Language.[14]

Ancient Greek Drama[change | change source]

For the full list of ancient Greek drama directed by George Eugeniou at Theatro Technis view Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama the Classic Centre at the University of Oxford.[21]

International Theatre Showcase[change | change source]

International plays include the French and Spanish language performance of “Le Petit Prince” , and “La Casa de Bernad a Alba “ respectively, the premiere of Griselda Gambaro `s Siamese Twins ,[22] Jonathan Lovett for The Stage : "Receiving a worthy tribute, in its long overdue UK premiere, this atmospheric production succeeds in weaving comedy into menace, and vice versa, helped by Kostas Panagiotou evocative score". "Brilliantly capturing a period of mistrust and state-sponsored violence, she turned to the story of Cain and Abel, depicting one brother destroying another while adding some deeply unsavoury characters on the side of the police."[23] and Japan`s Mugensha Theatre Company." Theatro Technis booked us. The founder, George Eugeniou, is a Cypriot, so I think he was sympathetic to foreign dramatists such as us, Mugensha Theatre Company Nobuko Tanaka about George Eugeniou, "Japan Times",30 October 2008</ref>

New Writing[change | change source]

Theatro Technis featured John Guare`s "Bosoms and Neglect" in 1992.[24] In 2003 Theatro Technis premiered Justin Butcher`s “The Madness of George Dubya” , reviewed by The Guardian`s Michael Billington “Satire is all but dead on the London stage, so this show by Justin Butcher deserves the warmest of welcomes. Even if it is largely a topical update of Kubrick's Dr Strangelove, it had a packed house at this north London fringe theatre cheering it to the echo.”.[25] The successful run of “The Madness of George Dubya” at Theatro Technis led to its transfer to the Pleasance Theatre in Islington and also garnered support from celebrities such as Justin Hoffman [26]

In his yearly review of British Theatre Billington remarked “The most cheering aspect of the year was the varied and rapid response to the Iraq crisis. At Theatro Technis, Justin Butcher wrote and directed The Madness of George Dubya - ignored by most critics until it transferred to the West End –“ [27]

Theatro Technis actors[change | change source]

Andreas Markou, Stelios Kyriacou, Andy Lysandrou, Spyros Kyprianou, Maroula Eugeniou,[28] Peter Polycarpou,[28] Eve Polycarpou ,[29] Angelique Rockas,[30] Anna Savva,[31] Alkis Kritikos, [32] George Savvides,[33] John Eastman , Jackie Skarvellis[34]

Academic Citations[change | change source]

  • Theatre of Ethnic Minorities in British theatre history has been explored in :
  • Jeffers, Alison. "Introduction." Culture, Democracy and the Right to Make Art: The British Community Arts Movement. . London: Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, 2017. 1–32. Bloomsbury Collections. Web. 17 Jan. 2020. .
  • The Arts Britain Ignores: the Arts of Ethnic Minorities in Britain by Naseem Khan (Commission for Racial Equality, 1976)
  • ‘Theatro Technis at 31’ by Andy Nicola (Artrage, Issue 20, Spring 1988, pp 14–17)

References[change | change source]

  1. George Eugeniou founder of Theatro Technis, Unfinished Histories http://www.unfinishedhistories.com/history/companies/theatro-technis/
  2. "teuxos 2_2008.qxd". www.ediamme.edc.uoc.gr. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  3. The Cambridge Illustrated History of British Theatre (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) Simon Trussler page 361 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cambridge-Illustrated-History-British-Histories/dp/0521419131
  4. "London Greek Film Festival - Odysseus Awards 2020".
  5. https://www.londongreekfilmfestival.com/ for 2019
  6. "Stage return for the actors who rehearsed in parks and on Zoom calls".
  7. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results?basicsearch=review%20for%20theatro%20technis%20and%20dowry%20%20https%3a%2f%2fwww.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk%2fsearch%2fresults%3fbasicsearch%3dtheatro%2520technis%2520dowry%2520with%2520two%2520white%2520doves%26retrievecountrycounts%3dfalse&retrievecountrycounts=false
  8. "Afrodite Unbound, Anna Savva and Angelique Rockas". Theatro Technis. TA NEA. June 1982 – via Archive.org.
  9. "Anniversary of Theatro Technis with photo of Andreas Markos and Angelique Rockas in Ethnikos Aravonas/National Engagement". Theatro Technis. 1982 – via Archive.org.
  10. Vivien Gantry (July 1982). "A Revolutionary Nicknamed Roosevelt". CityLimits magazine – via archive.org.
  11. John Gulliver ,George Eugeniou directs his own Three Plays about Cyprus Cyprus Trilogy, Camden New Journal, 2 November 2017
  12. George Eugeniou (15 October 2017). "George Eugeniou speaks about "Cyprus Trilogy"". Cyprus Trilogy – via youtube.com.
  13. "A Tribute to the Theatre of the Modern Greek Diaspora". Etudes Helleniques. 2008 – via ediamme.edc.uoc.gr.
  14. Don Camillo at Theatro Technis cast list,[1], March 1979.
  15. Howard Loxton, "Women in Parliament – Aristophanes, translated by G Theodorides, Theatro Technis, Camden", British Theatre Guide.
  16. Aristophanes. "The Frogs". Theatro Technis – via Britishtheatreguide.info.
  17. Jim Hiley, Time Out , Jan. 1979
  18. Ned Chaillet, . "Medea." Times, 21 Jan. 1982, p. 13. The Times Digital Archive, http://tinyurl.galegroup.com/tinyurl/BNypv3
  19. Michael Billington, The Guardian , 17 January , 2004
  20. [2] George Eugeniou Oh Democracy!.
  21. Theatro Technis (2018). "Theatro Technis ancient Greek Drama archive Classics Centre at the University of Oxford". APGRD – via apgrd.ox.ac.uk.
  22. "Theatre review: Siamese Twins at Theatro Technis".
  23. The Stage, Jonathan Lovett, The Siamese Twins , September 9, 2011
  24. Curry, Jane Kathleen (2002). John Guare: A Research and Production Sourcebook. ISBN 9780313312526.
  25. Billington, Michael (16 January 2003). "The Madness of George Dubya". The Guardian.
  26. "Bush satire is London hit". 6 February 2003.
  27. Billington, Michael (17 December 2003). "Hello cruel world". The Guardian.
  28. 28.0 28.1 Theatro Technis Unfinished Histories http://www.unfinishedhistories.com/history/companies/theatro-technis/
  29. C Kenward, The Hecuba Gap. University of Warwick (2011)
  30. "King's Collections : Archive Catalogues : GREEK DIASPORA ARCHIVE".
  31. Omar, Cosh (7 August 2015). The Battle of Green Lanes. ISBN 9781783192397.[permanent dead link]
  32. APGRD, Alkis Kritikos Theatro Technis. Oxford University Centre of Classics http://www.apgrd.ox.ac.uk/productions/people/12247
  33. Basil Panayis, Faces George Savvides. Hellenic Television https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0umK_5FYEEY
  34. Aristophanes, The Frogs,Theatro Technis.https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/the-frogs-theatro-technis-9522

Other websites[change | change source]