Greek actress Evi Kolioulis will take the lead role in a new comedy titled "Truthfully, I'm Lying to You," written and directed by Antonis Kalomirakis, which opens on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Theatro Alfa in Athens.
Kalomirakis previously created the award-winning production "Fantastically Depressing." His new play is billed as a comedy that starts out innocent and builds to an explosive finish, built around the idea that lies rarely begin with bad intentions. People tell them, the premise goes, to avoid upsetting someone, to protect a moment, or to keep from losing a person they care about, and that is exactly where things start to unravel.
The story behind the play
The plot follows Faye, who places a job advertisement at the company where she works. The last person she expects to see walk through the door is Konstantinos, her teenage love, twenty years on. Both are now married and both believe their lives have settled onto a fixed path. A single evening is enough to remind them that some feelings never disappear, but that night does not unfold the way either of them imagined. Before they can fully grasp what has happened to them, the two find themselves caught up with a ring of blackmailers who have entirely different plans for them.
Ahead of the premiere, Kolioulis spoke to the Greek news outlet Newsbeast about the production and her role.
Kolioulis on discovering acting
Kolioulis said her love of acting began almost unconsciously, out of a need to explore the world through other people's eyes. She said that as a child she remembers being captivated by stories and trying to live a thousand different lives through them. She said that the first time she stepped onto a stage, she realized theatre was the only place where she could be completely honest, and that she discovered a deep sense of freedom there that immediately told her this was her path.
A character built on contradictions
Describing the woman she plays in "Truthfully, I'm Lying to You," Kolioulis said the character is full of contradictions, secrets and surprises, which she said makes her fascinating. She said the character tries to balance her own truths against the smokescreens she builds around herself, and that despite the lies running through the plot, she is a person desperately searching for her own truth.
Asked what drew her to the role, Kolioulis said she was immediately struck by the character's complexity and vitality. She said that reading the script gave her tremendous excitement and a spontaneous spark, and that she loved the way the character's personality unfolds over the course of the play. She said the part offers an actor an enormous emotional range to work with, calling it a role that challenges her creatively and fills her with positive energy.
Balancing comedy and suspense
Kolioulis described mixing humor with suspense in the same role as a wonderful and highly creative challenge. She said the balance requires absolute timing, precision and, above all, inner truth, and that an actor must never force either the audience's laughter or its unease. She said the secret lies in immersing herself fully in the situations her character goes through, and that when a role is approached honestly, the shifts between comic and dramatic moments happen naturally, carrying the audience along with them.
Asked whether she finds more joy in developing a new role or in the moment the curtain rises, Kolioulis said both have their own unique magic. She described preparing a new role as an exciting internal journey of discovery, but said the moment the curtain goes up is unrepeatable, calling it a moment of vindication when all the work meets the audience and becomes live communication. She said that direct exchange of energy with the audience gives her the greatest happiness of all.
Cast and production credits
The play is written and directed by Antonis Kalomirakis, with choreography by Areti Mokali and song lyrics also by Kalomirakis. Music supervision is by Ars Artis, photography is by Giorgos Charoulis, and the press office is handled by Vaso Sotiriou of We Will.
The cast includes Antonis Kalomirakis, Marios Mariolos, Evi Kolioulis, Tereza Kazitori and Vasilis Thelouras, with Nikos Pantelidis in the role of Miltos.
Where and when to see it
"Truthfully, I'm Lying to You" runs at Theatro Alfa, at Lineos-Fotiou, 28is Oktovriou 37, in Athens, starting October 6, 2026, and continuing every Tuesday at 21:00. The theatre can be reached at 210 5201828 or 690822.
- VIP: 20 euros
- General admission: 18 euros
- Reduced: 15 euros
- Free admission category: 10 euros
Group discounts are available, and tickets can be booked in advance through ticketservices.gr. The performance runs 90 minutes with no intermission.
