Lakis Lazopoulos
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Lakis Lazopoulos (
Early life
Lazopoulos was born in
Early career
In 1979, he wrote his first script for the revue Something's cooking in Gipsyland. Say Goodbye, It's All Over Now, a quick success. Lazopoulos joined the Free Theatre of Athens, where he performed Why People are Happy, followed by yet another successful revue, Change and Craze.
The political situation at the time triggered the production of four revues of a more politico-
Career, 1986-1993
In 1986 he starred in Lysistrata. The play toured Greece and was performed in all major theaters to success and acclaim. That same year, he began writing on his own and staged I was Pasok and I grew old.
In 1987, he wrote What the Japanese saw. He was sued over this by the then-
In 1988 he staged and performed in Nicholai Gogol's "Diary of a madman" without great commercial success. In 1989 he staged "Greece after heart surgery" which broke records, while his following play "There was a Small Ship" ran for two successive years and was a box office hit. 1n 1991 Lazopoulos staged "I Have Something to Tell You", in which he wrote and performed as himself like all his previous plays. In the summer of the same year he toured Greece with the performance "Alone at Last". This comprised a series of his most popular acts, and proves to be his most successful commercially since 1981. Its success spurred another tour followed two years later, debuting in New York City.
In 1992 he turns his attention to television, writing and interpreting fifteen character roles (both male and female), in the most successful TV series on Greek television to date, Deka mikroi Mitsoi. Portraying everyday characters satirizing contemporary social and political situations, it drew affinity with the public. Spurred by the success of the series, the educational department of the University of Athens conducts a survey looking into reasons why Greeks avidly watched the series and expressions used by its characters. With Lazopoulos present, the findings were officially announced to academics, students and the press. Deka mikroi Mitsoi also took part in the festival of Forte dei Marmi in Italy, receiving an Honorable Distinction.
In 1993 he presented
Career, 1999-2008
In the summer of 1999 he played the lead role in the film
Between 2003 and 2004 he wrote, directed, and starred in the revue "Wind in our Sails", which was presented at the theatre Britannia in Athens to commercial success. At the same time, he became artistic director for two prominent Athens theaters, the Britannia and Athinon. In February 2004 the film R20, for which he wrote co-directed with P. Karazas, opened at the box office. During the summer of 2004 he held the leading role of Hremilos in Aristophanes' historical comedy Ploutos. The play toured Greece, culminating in a special performance at the ancient theatre of Epidaurus, as part of the Athens Olympics that August.
The winter of 2004 to 2005 found Lazopoulos writing, directing and starring as the lead in another successful and original production at Athens' Britannia theatre, "Where is this Bus Going?" The show was a success, receiving exceptional reviews from the press. The premiere of Al Tsantiri Newsel ("Live from the Shack") in November 2004 made Lazopoulos the first actor in Greek television history to host his own weekly show. To the present day, this satirical news bulletin continues to draw high ratings.
Since 2004 he has held the position of Programming Director for the entertainment sector of the privately owned television channel, Alpha TV. The television program "504KM North of Athens", inspired by student life in Greece, was a project through which he was able to introduce a group of young actors and a talented new director to Greek audiences. The film "Don't Go", released in April 2005 was an adaptation of this story. In the summer of 2005 Lazopoulos was set to once again bring his own style and interpretation to another Aristophanes play, The Acharnians this time for The National Theatre of Greece. In November 2005, he directed and played the lead in Vretania Theater, "Hysteria" written by Tery Johnson. In 2006 he played Nicolo (Greco's best friend) in the film El Greco. The movie was released in October 2007 and set a record for ticket sales.
In November 2008 and after 3 years of absence from the theater he wrote, directed and starred as the lead in the play "Toiler on the roof". The play was a success.
References
External links
Media related to Lakis Lazopoulos at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (in Greek)