He started cracking jokes while holding a mic some 25 years ago, as a youth who made up Athens’ first stand-up comedy team under the wing of filmmaker Loukia Rikaki, as part of the Nyxtes Komodias (Comedy Nights) team. Since then, Dimitris Dimopoulos has seen the stand-up comedy scene blossom. “Two decades ago stand-up was something actors and performers would do on the side. Now it’s booming!” he says, as we chat half an hour before he steps on stage at Theatro STATHMOS in Metaxourgeio.
Talking to me for Greek City Times on February 21st (see video below) - his next performance is on Tsiknopempti, February 28th - Dimopoulos is about to get laughs for newest his routine titled “Kafrokrema”, in which he describes his paradoxical mix of snobbery and humility. He has spent a great part of the previous autumn and this winter touring all of Greece -including islands such as Crete - performing.
Dimopoulos tells me how despite the toils of travel (especially early morning flights, bus rides and more), that it’s all worth it when he finds himself on the stage addressing an audience whose wintry life has left them a little in need of some culture and humour. But even in the capital his performances fill up the theatre with an audience made up laughers of all ages and from all kinds of backgrounds.
Since he started his career in 1996, Dimopoulos has written two different stand-up routines, first ‘Andi-Didaktorikou’ and ‘Iyperparagogi”. As a well-travelled speaker of Greek, French, German, English and Russian, Dimopoulos certainly has a way with not only languages but also words - and their nuances, cultural references and double-entrendres. His humour can be as base as it can be sparklingly intellectual and surreally surprising. He addresses everyday life issues but manages, by juxtaposing contrasting ideas and scenarios in a seamless way, to travel the audience along a safe yet fun rollercoaster-ride of laughter.
Aside from comedy he has also written Libretti to the operas “Yasou Aida” and “AirRossini” among others and has directed the musical theatre performances, including «Kafka-Fragmente», «Das Schubert Diploma» and «Night Songs». His upcoming project is a collaboration with the Thessaloniki State Orchestra called “Stand-Up Symphony”.
Watch the interview here-
