The Plot @ The Greek Theatre

Inset Pic- Julie Hudspeth, Nicholas Papademetriou, Dina Panozzo, Michael Kotsoholis and Dina Gillespie. Featured Pic- Maggie Blinco. Pics by Mark Micaleff Photography
Inset Pic- Julie Hudspeth, Nicholas Papademetriou, Dina Panozzo, Michael Kotsoholis and Dina Gillespie. Featured Pic- Maggie Blinco. Pics by Mark Micaleff Photography

In her new play THE PLOT, Greek playwright Evdokia Katahanas’ follows the  challenging journey of nursing home manager, Lily.

By the close of Katahanas’ play I had all the empathy in the world for Lily, who director Sophie Kelly so poetically described as being, ‘the rib cage protecting her patients’ .

What a tough gig she has! On one hand she has all the dramas involved in caring for her many and often difficult patients. On the other hand, she has to contend with the demands of corrupt, cantankerous, insensitive managers.

Dina Panozzo, one of our finest actresses, delivers a very touching portrait of Lily’s ‘heroic’ journey. 

As per the  photo above Glenda, played by Julie Hudspeth, Frank played by Nicholas Papademetriou, Jacob played by Michael Kotsohilis, and Mary played by Dina Gillespie, comprise the management team  that relish giving Lily a traumatic time.

Jennifer White delivers a spunky performance as the brazen nurse Daisy who manages to persuade- I guess that might be putting it nicely- a patient to leave her a hefty amount in his will. When Lily finds this out Daisy is summarily dismissed however management ask Lily to reinstate her…..Have a guess why….

Perennial stage and screen performer Maggie Blinco  gives a wonderful comic, hammy performance as the demented, outrageous patient, Electra, whom Lily always tries to keep a watch over, sometimes unsuccessfully.

Sophie Kelly leads an impressive creative team as the director and dramaturg. The main players in her team  are composer Stephen Rae, Jasmine Christie as set and costume designer, and Liam O’Keefe as lighting designer.

One can only hope that the playwright’s work is a work of her imagination and not based/inspired by experiences or second hand stories of a current nursing home. Yes there are some comic moments however, on the whole, it’s a quite dark, decadent, scary ‘take’ on this world, that, as we grow older, many of us fear having to face,

The final performances of Skylight Productions presentation of Evdokia Kathanas’ THE PLOT at the Mantouridion Theatre, known as the Greek theatre, Building 36, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville are this  Friday 27th February at 8pm, Saturday 28th February at 8pm and Sunday 1st March at 5pm.