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The Foundation of the Hellenic World presents
Charles Dickens
OLIVER TWIST
Translation: Foteini Megaloudi
Rendering - Adaptation: Constantina Nikolaidi
Charles Dickens
OLIVER TWIST
Translation: Foteini Megaloudi
Rendering - Adaptation: Constantina Nikolaidi
The performance that moved and captivated young and old
continues until Palm Sunday
at the "Theatron" of The "Hellenic Cosmos" Cultural Centre
The Foundation of the Hellenic World is staging from Sunday, October 20th the mega-production "OLIVER TWIST" by Charles Dickens in rendering, theatrical adaptation and direction by Constantina Nikolaidi and a 20-member cast of excellent actors, at the "Theatron" of The "Hellenic Cosmos" Cultural Centre.
The classic and timeless work of Dickens with young Oliver, which has inspired countless film and theatrical productions, is brought to the theatrical stage in a mega-production for young and old with the sharp and fresh directorial eye of Constantina Nikolaidi, rich costumes and set designs by Maria Filippou, original music by Giannis Economou and choreographies by Christina Foteinaki.
Oliver Twist is the hero-symbol who manages to maintain his kindness and morality within a gloomy and unjust world. Dickens, through this work, criticizes the miserable conditions prevailing in his time in England, where human life has little value and the many live in absolute poverty, in a society of great contradictions. The work is also relevant today, where children live in conditions of extreme poverty and are deprived of basic necessities. Dickens concludes with a note of hope and optimism, arguing that good can triumph and that innocence, truth and purity, virtues that relate to the essence of childhood, can be saved even in an environment of hardship and social inequalities.
The classic and timeless work of Dickens with young Oliver, which has inspired countless film and theatrical productions, is brought to the theatrical stage in a mega-production for young and old with the sharp and fresh directorial eye of Constantina Nikolaidi, rich costumes and set designs by Maria Filippou, original music by Giannis Economou and choreographies by Christina Foteinaki.
Oliver Twist is the hero-symbol who manages to maintain his kindness and morality within a gloomy and unjust world. Dickens, through this work, criticizes the miserable conditions prevailing in his time in England, where human life has little value and the many live in absolute poverty, in a society of great contradictions. The work is also relevant today, where children live in conditions of extreme poverty and are deprived of basic necessities. Dickens concludes with a note of hope and optimism, arguing that good can triumph and that innocence, truth and purity, virtues that relate to the essence of childhood, can be saved even in an environment of hardship and social inequalities.
A few words about the work
-What did you say! he asked, unable to believe his ears.-Please sir, Oliver repeated, I want some more food. I'm hungry!
We are transported to 19th-century England. Oliver Twist is born in a workhouse in the English province, while his mother dies in childbirth. The infant ends up in an orphanage. There, the beadle undertakes to give him a name, which he chooses for each orphan in alphabetical order. Oliver is a pale and weak child, always timid and scared. One day he commits the "terrible sin" of asking for a little more food. The director of the institution, Mr. Bumble, is enraged by his bold request, punishes him with isolation and then with expulsion from the orphanage. Oliver, now homeless and alone, takes a job with the gentleman whom Mr. Bumble "sold" him to. His reward is a very small plate of food and a sleep in a corner, in the dirty attic of the house. Unable to endure living under these miserable conditions any longer, he decides to escape, walking all the way to London. There, the opportunity for a new home will be given to little Oliver by a gang of pickpockets. In his new home, he will meet the leader of the gang (Fagin), the criminal Bill Sikes, the explosive Nancy and the cunning Artful Dodger. But hope reaches out its hand to Oliver and brings into his path Mrs. Bedwin and Mr. Brownlow, two wonderful people who, despite the difficulties of life, have managed to keep their humanity intact. Oliver balances between two worlds that shake his childhood and his moral integrity. A struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, begins.
A few words about Dickens
Charles Dickens was born in 1812 in England and died at the age of 58. Still a child, he was forced to drop out of school and work in a factory because his father was imprisoned due to debt. Despite the lack of formal education, he worked for 20 years as a letter writer and editor of weekly publications, pioneering the publishing system of literature in England. He wrote hundreds of short stories, novels and novellas and often gave lectures. His books have been translated into almost all languages, captivating millions of readers and viewers around the world. Directors and filmmakers are inspired by the pages of this "enlightened" writer and communicate his work through theatrical performances and films. Today, almost two centuries later, Dickens, one of the greatest writers of all time, continues unabated, filling the hearts of young and old with love, because as he himself said: "A loving heart is the only true wisdom."
Director's Note
This year, for the second consecutive year, I am engaging with a text by the beloved Dickens. A writer, intensely theatrical, who knows how to inspire and create images like few others in his genre. This vision is what we were called to serve with the contributors of the performance "OLIVER TWIST". The atmospheric London of the 19th century, with all its sounds and smells, is revealed to us on the stage of the "Theatron" of The "Hellenic Cosmos" Cultural Centre. We are all very excited both for our collaboration and for the work we are undertaking. "OLIVER TWIST" is ranked among the classic works and not without reason, since it aims directly at the reader's heart. A harsh work in many places, deeply moving in others, also very comical and with intense suspense! Just like life itself, which through its good and bad, unfolds its magic and brings us one step closer to Love and the Embrace every time. An Embrace that sweetly whispers to us "Hold on tight. Everything will be fine.". An Embrace that, like little Oliver, we all deeply desire.
Constantina Nikolaidi
