Young actress Katerina Mavrogeorgi, roars like a true lioness impersonating Nur in “Lions”, the new play by Mavrogeorgiou – Gaki at Neos Kosmos Theter, and explains what makes this patnership stan the test of time.
You have been working with director Vasilis Mavrogeorgiou and
musician KostaS Gaki for five years and you have been in Neos Kosmos
theatre for four years.
I feel very lucky for this collaboration. we used to be friends before working together and working with good friends is a blessing. and of course it can be a trap; constant discipline issues arise, for example, but this is something that must be solved with good will and we have lots of this! It is like growing together over the years and it is very comforting to grow up with friends!
What is it that appeals to you in the story of four lions escaping from Baghdad zoo?
At first the innocence. The way the animals, the most innocent of all, view such situation as a war highlights its absurdity. while the play’s character is both political and antiwar, it is far from becoming a sermon. Secondly, I am attracted by the theme of freedom as is in the story. The idea that these lions, who grew up like kittens in a zoo, must regain the wild side, their true nature within an urban environment ravaged by war, before claiming their freedom. freedom is not given and it is interesting to see this as a metaphor.
How difficult was it to impersonate an animal?
It was quite difficult and we were all scared at first. we tried to avoid the ease of miming and instead looked into various exercises to find a way of communicating without the use of speech, as animals do. we also used common components such as family and herd.
What are your plans for the future? Would you continue this collaboration or try something else?
Ideally I would do both. like recently, in October, I did a movie called ‘The Tour Guide’ with Zacharias Mavroidis, starring michalis Economou who won the Horn award. a very good film coming out next year. It was a hard task in terms of time but a very refreshing one.
Interview: Elia Zacharioudaki / Photography: Elina Giounanli
