Source (27 - 10 - 2023): https://www.culturenow.gr/h-hippo-theatre-group-mas-milaei-gia-ta-adespota/

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Hippo Theatre Group: Fotis Dousos & Alexandros Raptis Talk About “Adespota,” Kinemo, and Future Plans

Continuing with the distinctive style of physical theatre they themselves have developed—kinemo—Hippo Theatre Group returns dynamically to Stathmos Theatre with their new interactive children’s play Adespota! CultureNow spoke with artistic directors Fotis Dousos and Alexandros Raptis, who co-wrote the script along with Kalliopi Fykari, and choreographed the actors’ movement (Vera Katsimparou, Kyriaki Legaki Krimitza).

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– Could you tell us a bit about Hippo Theatre Group and your journey so far?

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Fotis Dousos: It has been a long journey, beginning in Thessaloniki, making stops in many parts of the countryside, and almost all Greek cities, reaching even the most distant parts of the world—Canada, the USA, Australia. And the journey continues…

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Alexandros Raptis: The group was founded in 2009. At first, we focused on theatre for children, and then we expanded to include adult audiences as well. A defining feature of the group is constant movement, the absence of large or elaborate sets, a minimalist stage approach supported by the powerful presence of the actors’ bodies, voices, and energy. From that, our signature style kinemo was born—a unique performance method that also shapes our rehearsal process.

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– What do you consider to be the essential ingredients of a valuable children’s play?

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F.D.: Authenticity, honesty, generosity, empathy. A good script. Good direction. Aesthetic value.

A.R.: A children’s play should be no different from an adult one. It must have high visual aesthetics, intelligent and contemporary direction, honest, smart, and deep writing, truth, energy, and dedication from the actors. Every play must be driven by a genuine desire for communication through a magical, intuitive process.

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– Tell us more about the physical theatre method kinemo.

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F.D.: It’s the result of research we’ve done (and continue to do) on physical theatre and its boundaries. It emerged organically from the practical needs we faced as performers and actors. We needed a method that would allow us to perform for audiences who didn’t know our language—or didn’t know it at all. So we used the vocabulary of energy, rhythm, and sound to enrich the stage result and compensate for language’s limitations in building intercultural bridges.

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A.R.: Kinemo means kinaesthesia, energy, rhythm, and empathy. With kinemo, the performance sometimes resembles a choreographed piece. The method is defined by the actor’s body, their extroversion, and the strict directorial structures that communicate—sometimes surrealistically, sometimes more grounded—with the viewer’s imagination and intellect. At the same time, kinemo aims at a silent, secret communication between the actor and the audience, through the pure exchange of energy.

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– In your new production, you introduce young audiences to Adespota. What’s the story?

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A.R.: The Mayor wants his city to be the best at everything. The Great Committee for the Cleanliness Awards is coming to inspect. Everything is being scrubbed spotless under the watchful eye of his meticulous Secretary. Their only problem? The stray animals that keep “dirtying” the city unintentionally. What will happen when the stray animals demand their rights? And how will they survive when the city’s authorities decide to get rid of them? The play raises children’s awareness around the issue of stray animals. What happens next—on stage!

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– The message of the play is quite clear. What makes theatre an ideal medium for promoting empathy toward animals and building environmental awareness?

F.D.: Theatre isn’t a propaganda tool or a vehicle for dry moralism. It’s a space where ideas—often conflicting—wrestle with each other. It relies on the dialectical relationship of ideas. Primarily, it raises questions—urgent, burning ones that concern us all. And often, the way a question is posed contains the answer within it.

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– The show targets preschool and school-aged children. Given its interactive nature, would you say the actors adapt their performance based on the children’s age group?

F.D.: A performance is a living organism. For it to be complete, it requires the audience’s participation and influence. In that sense, we’ll see variations in how actors respond—even in shows aimed at the same age group.

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– What comes next after Adespota?

A.R.: We’ve got several plans. Right now, I’m in Epirus directing The Emperor’s Dilemma for the Ioannina Municipal and Regional Theatre (DIPETHE), a script based on Hans Christian Andersen’s story The Emperor and the Nightingale. Fotis and I wrote the play together, and it will be published by Dodoni Editions in the coming days. The show premieres on November 6th.

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After that, I’ll launch a year-long kinemo workshop in Athens, starting in December at “Symmoria tou Iliou” in Petralona.

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Adespota will continue its run throughout the year, and we also have a European tour planned. Our show The City of Lost Robots is entering its second season, now in northern Greece, and will tour the Greek islands in spring and international festivals in summer.

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There’s also a new idea in the works—a more experimental production for adult audiences, which we’ll begin developing soon. Surely more projects will emerge along the way…