ROME - Life is a Fairy Tale is a beautifully poignant and refreshing piece of theatre, written and performed by Glyka Stoiou. It revolves around a woman, who, awaiting her final judgement, tells of her struggles to find a soulmate and her premature death.

This comedic one-woman show explores the long-standing issues of gender inequality that women have faced and continue to face in society. By highlighting these issues, the show becomes one of empowerment, and questions the extent to which we are perpetuating these ideas in our own lives with our attitudes and actions.

Glyka Stoiou, the author and star of the show, is of Greek birth and currently resides in Rome. She studied the performing arts, cultural management, journalism and mass media and has worked as a director, producer, writer and actress, grasping the attention of both national and international audiences. Stoiou’s intention for Life is a Fairy Tale was “to share with the audience why women are brought up like ‘victims’ that wait for a ‘prince’ to save them.” She added, “if one woman after the show finds her way to an independent life, feels stronger and stops looking for a prince to save her, I will be more than happy.” This being said, the show is by no means an aggressive attack towards men, but rather an attempt to give equal power and control back to women.

The puzzling nature of the title is addressed right from the start, as Stoiou boldly declares that life is indeed a fairy tale, but perhaps not in the way one might initially think. This immediately challenges the audience, most of whom have undoubtedly grown up surrounded by fairy tales, but under the strict instruction to remember that they are not reflections of real life. However, Stoiou creates an immediate feeling of intrigue amongst the audience as she draws parallels between the two, maintaining that more similarities exist than one would think. Her honest and thought-provoking performance inspires us to look beyond the surface of the tales, and instead to see the issues and questions that are really being raised and explored.

Stoiou expressed that she feels “blessed” to live in a modern society, where an all-female production such as this is possible, as it shows that “women finally define and control their lives and are productive.”

The set itself is beautifully simple, just an open stage with a bench, table and candles. The versatility of the stage is vital as it allows for the smooth transitions between characters and the different settings.

Arguably, what makes this piece most powerful is that despite it being a one-woman show, Stoiou portrays various different characters, which enables her to include the stories of the women who have shaped and influenced the protagonist growing up. The difference in age and occupation of each character shows that all women have relatable experiences, regardless of circumstances. Consequently, the message becomes bigger than that of just one woman recounting her past, but instead it becomes the voice of all women. This is particularly hard-hitting as it demonstrates a sense of unity which can encourage women to come together, with a determination to affect real change and change perspectives.

Credit must be given to the actress for these effortless changes between the characters. Each character is different, however, Stoiou manages a seamless transformation into each one, aided only by the removal or addition of one part of her costume. Her wholehearted and convincing portrayal of each character means that the audience is able to engage and invest fully into each character as a separate entity.

Stoiou’s performance throughout is utterly fearless. The raw honesty and sincerity behind each character are apparent and there is a spirit of freedom which both challenges the audience and put them at ease.

The whole performance serves as a direct address to the audience, filled with intense gazes, laughs, smiles and tears. It touches upon issues such as teenage pregnancy, sexual harassment, and the idea that within society people are constantly seeking other people’s approval. It is an emboldening and empowering attempt to inspire people to stand up for their rights and to challenge people to rethink ideas they have grown up with and ultimately proves that adults should pay just as much attention to fairy tales as children do.

Life is a Fairy Tale was produced by Gaby Ford and The English Theatre of Rome, a company that provides the opportunity for plays to reach an international audience and is dedicated to supporting five categories of theatre: classic, contemporary, world premiere, female playwright and bilingual production. More information regarding their upcoming productions can be found here.

photo credits: Patrick Knappich

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