For many years Mary Coustas has toured nationally as Greek Goddess Effie, including successful stage productions such as Wogs Out of Work and Effie the Virgin Bride, and TV series Acropolis Now and Greeks on The Roof.
Mary is currently on a national tour with her new one-woman show, This Is Personal. However, unlike past tours, this show IS personal for Mary. Stripping away the big hair and sequined outfits, This Is Personal gives audiences an unforgettable insight into the woman behind the infamous and iconic boofhead Effie. This is Mary’s story presented in a stunning and moving way.
Ahead of her Adelaide season at the Dunstan Playhouse from May 4 to 6, I caught up with Mary to talk about This Is Personal. I asked Mary what made her decide that now was the time to bring her personal story to the stage after so many years of touring as Effie.
“When my personal story broke, after the memoir I wrote and the couple of stories Sixty Minutes did on myself and my husband and our odyssey to have a baby and everything we encountered along the way, including the huge losses, that the public finally got to know me. I was never in a hurry to give them my personal story because I didn’t want it to detract from my work with Effie. My story had elevated itself to such a degree that I could never have imagined. I was writing about it a lot and ended up writing a book because I was encouraged by those closest to me and it would help others to hear my story. From the success of the book, the public then learnt about the real me and my story. I started to find that when I was performing as Effie, people were wanting and trying to talk to Mary after the shows, even though I was dressed as Effie. It was a little disconcerting and initially I found it upsetting because I was losing control of what I thought was the norm, but my husband said to me that people were trying to get to me, Mary, because they were so moved by what they had discovered about me. So that planted the first seed to write a show.
“People I consider to be my besties, but also push for what is best for me, kept asking me when I was going to do ‘me’ on stage. I have had Effie front and centre for so many years and they said I should look at doing a solo show as myself. I didn’t know how to approach that, but the seed was planted. I am a huge fan of the saying ‘the older we get, the more risks you should take’. It’s very easy to stick to the safe and guard ourselves from exposure, so when I got offered to a one-woman show at the Sydney Opera House I couldn’t turn that down. The only catch they gave me is that they wanted Mary, not Effie. So it took me a while to work out how I wanted to do the show so it was something for the audience and not just about me. I’m a big fan of believing the audience should walk away with more than what they arrived with — not just an hour or two in the theatre that was incredible, but have something to reflect on or to feel they have been heard.
“Once I had figured out what the material was, I worked closely with my collaborator, Chris Anastassiades, who I worked with at the very beginning of my career, and together we worked the script of the show to take the audience on a wonderful journey through the show. I didn’t want the show to be predictable, I wanted it to be a series of unexpected roads to its conclusion. We were able to create something better than I had hoped for.”
I was keen to hear from Mary how Effie feels having to share the spotlight with her.
“I think she is ok with sharing it with me. I know, I get it — it’s like one of those entitled children. I am pretty sure Effie is feeling very much like, ‘No, it’s me — I’m the one who is the public figure in the two of us.’ So I’m sure she isn’t liking it, but she can stay a bit like resting meat to the side and trust that the juices of time will be good for her. I will never give her up. She’s my happy, colourful place. I liken her to wearing ugg boots. I love slipping into her.”
Mary has already had several stops on her national tour, and has been extremely well received. For a show where she is really putting herself on the line and baring her soul, it must be a wonderful feeling to see how well the audiences are responding to the show.
“I did Canberra a few weeks ago and the day after my first show, I went to a coffee shop next door to where I was staying with my husband and daughter. When I walked in, this beautiful, tall, lean, red-headed anglo woman put her hand to her heart and said to me, ‘Oh my goodness Mary, I was just talking about you and I don’t want to sound like a stalker but was wondering where you were staying.’ She went on to tell me how she saw the show the night before and couldn’t stop talking to people about it. I think it’s because the show is surprising. People don’t know what they are going to get, but it’s more than they hope for. She also asked me if I knew how many men were crying in the audience. I don’t usually notice as I am trying to focus on what I’m doing. But upon reflection, to do a show where grown men can be in fits of laughter one moment then crying a few moments later, that is a big eye opener for me. I love creating a shared experience, and to know I am achieving this with audiences is very humbling.”
This Is Personal arrives in Adelaide on May 4 for only a few performances at the Dunstan Playhouse.
“I would urge anyone who is an Effie fan to come, but that is obvious. I would urge any theatre goer to come, or any fan of a one-person show come. One review has said that this show has totally changed what the parameters of a one-person show are. I really felt Hannah Gadsby did that with Nanette; it was in its own genre. This show I’m doing is very physical at times. It’s very personal throughout. I set up the stories and characters and then I morph into them without the bells and whistles. I think the journey and the issues covered are so universal that everyone in that audience feels touched and empowered by it. All Adelaide people, please come.”
Tickets to see Mary Coustas in This Is Personal can be purchased here: https://maryandeffie.com/tour/ .
This Is Personal
Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre
May 4 – 6, 2023 (Preview 4 May)
Interviewed by Ben Stefanoff
Photo credit: Cassandra Hannagan
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