Alternative Stage Founding Donor
Major Sponsor of the Greek National Opera
A co-production
The legendary war revue Bravo Colonel by Alekos Sakellarios and Dimitris Evangelidis, originally staged in 1940 as a direct response to the Greco-Italian War, is coming to the Alternative Stage of the National Opera at the SNFCC for two unique performances on 25 and 26 October 2025, in co-production with ERT. Bravo Colonelo is revived through a new arrangement by the conductor of the ERT Choir, Michalis Papapetrou, and will be performed by the ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra under his musical direction. The directorial supervision bears the mark of Alexandros Efklidis.
The new arrangement of Bravo Colonelo draws on ERT's historical archive and the revue's original version, respecting its historical value, in an effort to showcase the work's lasting significance. As Michalis Papapetrou notes, The arrangement was based on Theophrastos Sakellaridis' work, as we've known it from his operettas and song recordings. Its lyrical and theatrical character has been preserved, while the new arrangement highlights the liveliness, humor, and enduring Greek spirit of his music.
The war revue Bravo Colonelo was first performed at the Aliki Theatre - later known as the Mousouri Theatre - and enjoyed great popularity, as its humour and music encouraged audiences and satirized fascism. It featured established music theatre actors of the time, such as Orestis Makris, Kyriakos Mavreas, Marika Krevata, Kostas Doukas, and Marika Nezer. Its music, original yet often borrowing from popular songs of that era, was composed by Theophrastos Sakellaridis. In 1979, the production returned to the stage and was also broadcast on TV through ERT (the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation), curated by Alekos Sakellarios and Giorgos Katsaros, featuring top artists of the time, such as Anna Kalouta, Giannis Gionakis, Giannis Vogiatzis, Giannis Parios, and others.
Bravo Colonelo, one of the first war revues staged at Athenian theatres after the outbreak of the Greco-Italian war, captures the contrasting climate of the time in an almost celebratory way. It depicts people, both at a loss and courageous, as if in a state of constant readiness, resisting the advent of fascism, and trying to fight the fear of war with humour and satire.
Its writers, Alekos Sakellarios and Dimitris Evangelidis, described it as a satiric humorous story about war and joined forces with Theophrastos Sakellaridis, who used both original and borrowed music, as was customary in revues at that time, to accompany it. In Bravo Colonelo, laughter and music turn into means of resistance and consolation.
Through numbers, patter, and songs, women and men at the rear hide their anxiety and embarrassment with joyfulness, irony, and self-sarcasm, while also adding a touch of emotion and national pride. The fascist enemy is ridiculed, while the Greek soldiers' struggle and daily lives are inevitably presented in an idealized manner, much like how the audience imagined and hoped that soldiers were living at the front.
The citizens' adaptability to new circumstances, volunteering, and solidarity are depicted onstage, alongside the theatre people's self-referentiality. The socialite movement takes on a new form, while imposed blackouts and war discussions create new conditions for flirting to thrive. Typical revue characters, such as the drunkard, send their own antiwar message to an audience that continues to pack theatre halls despite the fear of war - or maybe because of it.
Bravo Colonelo ultimately serves as a live reminder of music theatre's power to transform satire into a weapon and theatre into a refuge. Most importantly, it highlights the special condition when the stage becomes one with the stalls under the weight of history, amidst a climate of uncertainty combined with national fascination and rallying.
The sets and costumes are designed by Alexia Theodoraki. Fotis Diamantopoulos is responsible for the movement, and Christos Tziogkas created the lighting design. Katerina Karra and Apostolos Poulios served as scientific advisors for this production.
Cast: Thanasis Alevras, Giorgos Glastras, Eleni Calenos, Raff Kritoulis, Ariadni Mersinia, Lydia Fotopoulou, Galini Chatzipaschali
Featuring the ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra
Illustrations
Archives of Historical Documents, Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece - National Historical Museum
