Premiered Nov. 2026 in Athens at "Theater of the NO"
"Mother Tongue" is a bold and intimate theatrical work that blends stand-up comedy, spoken word poetry, video art and animation, and sound design to explore memory, language, and survival.
This one-woman show moves fluidly between the present and the past of Skyler Doukas, a middle-aged Greek stand-up comedian who migrated to England at a young age for personal reasons. After 30 years of living and working in London, she returns to her homeland and confronts the traumatic experiences that shaped her life. Armed with humour and unflinching honesty, Skyler embarks on an intense journey of self-redefinition and reconciliation with her past, navigating her complex relationship with her mother, the tender memory of her deceased father, and the trauma inflicted by her mother’s partner.
The performance explores the power of the mother tongue and its deep connection to memory, addressing themes of homeland, unfulfilled desire, grief, sexual abuse, migration, language, and the enduring impact of trauma. A central directorial challenge lies in balancing the comic and tragic dimensions of the narrative, while negotiating the subtle interplay between two languages. The aim is to create a shared space between performer and audience, where the heroine’s experiences—at times painful, at times humorous—are embodied and revealed within an intense and immersive present.
The Story Behind Mother Tongue
The origins of Mother Tongue date back to 2008, when an early short story introduced a protagonist with striking behavioural traits. Although only loosely sketched at the time, the character continued to evolve across multiple forms: a short film script, subsequent short stories, and even a fairy tale. During the COVID-19 lockdown, this long creative process culminated in the writing of the present monologue.
Credits
Text / Direction / Performance: Georgia Tsagkaraki
Assistant Director: Viktoria Kokkiza
Design and Animation: Zina Papadopoulou
Music Composition & Soundscapes: Stefanos Giakoumakis
Lighting Design: Maria Athanasopoulou
Photography and Video: Haris Germanidis
