Past performances
Stukkie Jols (1984) - One-woman show
Scene from "Stukkie Jols"
"... the biggest bombshell to burst on the Grahamstown Festival scene is that tiny treasure chest of talent Irene Stephanou. As a mimic who has managed to capture South Africa's colourful characters in her one-women show, Irene is supreme." - Business Day (1985)
Is Every Sperm Sacred (1991) - One-woman show
Courtesy of "Speak" magazine
"Irene Stephanou is one of those people. a mercurial wisp of a woman who uses every stage moment to realise the full implications of what language and laughter can convey." - Cape Town Press (1992)
"Stephanou exploits her chameleonic aptitude to the hilt, admitting the audience into the diverse psychology of a hefty Castle swiller, an art acolyte, a frustrated Greek Cafe owner and an array of other immediately recognisable South Africa personae. She begins and ends with a question 'why are we here?' and thankfully offers no answers, but injects the question with an urgency and hysteria that is really funny - side-splitting at times." - Weekly Mail (1993)
"Stephanou exploits her chameleonic aptitude to the hilt, admitting the audience into the diverse psychology of a hefty Castle swiller, an art acolyte, a frustrated Greek Cafe owner and an array of other immediately recognisable South Africa personae. She begins and ends with a question 'why are we here?' and thankfully offers no answers, but injects the question with an urgency and hysteria that is really funny - side-splitting at times." - Weekly Mail (1993)
Meze, Mira & Make-up (1997) - One-woman show
"Irene Stephanou gets better all the time...always watchable, sometimes moving and more often than not hilarious...A delight." - The Citizen, 1996
"She is simultaneously Medea, Iphigenia, Maria Callas and comedienne extraordinaire. Yet she is also unafraid of standing skinless before her audience. And when she bares her psyche with irrepressible joy and pain she puts all the beauty queens in the world to shame." - Mail & Guardian, 1996
"She is simultaneously Medea, Iphigenia, Maria Callas and comedienne extraordinaire. Yet she is also unafraid of standing skinless before her audience. And when she bares her psyche with irrepressible joy and pain she puts all the beauty queens in the world to shame." - Mail & Guardian, 1996
Acropolis Cafe (2005) - Playwright
"Irene Stephanou has been showered with plaudits for 'Acropolis Cafe', a semi-autobiographical play about growing up Greek in a changing South Africa..." - iAfrica entertainment (2005)
"I don't bullshit. It was wonderful and lovingly satirical. It could apply to any immigrant family - Indian or Jewish." - Nadine Gordimer (Direct commentary, 2005)
"I don't bullshit. It was wonderful and lovingly satirical. It could apply to any immigrant family - Indian or Jewish." - Nadine Gordimer (Direct commentary, 2005)