ΑλΜΑ presented for the first time in Brussels the interactive monologue of Duncan Macmillan "Every Brilliant Thing" in two languages. In English with Corina Hamilton - Fowle and in Greek with Vicky Karkani. The performances took place on March 22, 23 and 24, 2019 on the stage of 'L'Arrière-scène'.
Every brilliant thing
Our show was selected (among 32 nominations) and competed in the 9th Panhellenic Festival of Amateur Theatre of Ierapetra, where it won two awards.
A monologue ...
... in two languages ...
... with two actresses!
A human, touching, bittersweet and life-affirming story, which unfolds with the help of the audience,
encouraging each of us to reflect, notice all around us, remember...
every brilliant thing that makes our life worth living.
Creative team
Directed by: Chrysa Baltzaki, Kyprianos Moutevelis
Makeup: Kyprianos Moutevelis
Cast: Corina Hamilton-Fowle, Vicky Karkani
Sound: Alexandros Zervakis
Advisor οn psychological aspects: Olga Kotrotsou
Box office: Emilia Kitsiou, George Foteinidis-Rethemiotakis
Poster: Fotis Dorkofikis
Translation into Greek: Vicky Karkani-Kyprianos Moutevelis
More info...
Directors' note:
We came across “Every Brilliant Thing” purely by chance and, since we were looking for the next multi-character play for our theatre group to put on, we only read it out of curiosity.
From the first page we felt that we were holding something special in our hands and when we reached the end, there was no doubt: This was a story that deserved to be told, that had to be told! And we knew exactly who were the two brilliant actresses that had to tell it!
What all of us who put together this show did not know then – but discovered along the way – was that a play can have such power that makes you see the world in a different light, in the same way you probably saw it as a kid but have long forgotten… Even more so, when a play with depression and suicide as its central theme brings out in you – including all of you in the audience hopefully - more love and will for life, then it is clear that the playwright, Duncan Macmillan, has achieved something great. His goal, in his own words, was to say to people: "You’re not alone, you’re not weird, you will get through it, and you’ve just got to hold on. That’s a very uncool, unfashionable thing for someone to say, but I really mean it. I didn’t see anyone discussing suicidal depression in a useful or interesting or accurate way."
Corina Hamilton - Fowle
Corina is half-Greek half-South African, who lived most her life in South Africa, Greece, Italy, England, Brussels…and has always struggled to answer the question of where she is from. One thing that was always clear is that she loves acting.
Her first play was at the age of four, where she was supposed to follow someone on stage and copy their movements, so when that character fell asleep she naturally pretended she was asleep for the rest of the play. So much so that the actors thought she was really asleep (!), and carried her backstage in an improvised skit… She was instantly hooked! For the rest of her life she acted in at least one play per year, won prizes in Pan-Hellenic competitions, and went on to study theatre at the University of Kent. There she discovered that the world of acting was big and scary, a very steep ladder she had to climb. As she was always afraid of heights, she moved to Brussels and started a 9-5 job. The bug however never left her and she was lucky enough to join Alma theatre group, where she found a happy medium of following her passion without losing it.
“Every Brilliant Thing is one of the most gripping plays I have ever read. When I first realized it was tackling subjects such as suicide and depression I was terrified. However, after reading it I understood it was anything but scary. It manages to be deeply moving, yet has such a sweet and human approach to life, that when the play ends you aren’t left with emotional scars, but rather a feeling of catharsis. So, buckle-up and enjoy!”
Vicky Karkani
Vicky was born in Athens in February 1987 and was adopted by Belgium in February 2012. As a child, she made sure to inform her parents early on that she would become an actress. After all, she used to wear a bed sheet as a cape and play theatre for her
grandfather until they returned from work (... she still does it when she is home alone).
At school, she filled her desk with Shakespearean quotes and was the first in theatrical performances (... whether they asked her or not). During university years she arrived just outside the door of the National Theatre for entrance exams, but seeing the crowds she returned home ... So she finished her studies in Political Science and International Relations and took on a very serious job in the European Commission for over 6 years.She became a member of ΑλΜΑ in May 2017, but she feels like she has known Kyprianos and Chrysa for years (... like all members of the team). The days she went on stage with "I Want a Country" were some of the happiest of her life.
When she has no rehearsal, she take care of her husband Spyros and their dog Firma.
Oh! When she was younger, she performed in two small shows in Russian, but she doesn't consider them important enough to mention.
