Aliki Chapple
LightNews LightNews
banner
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Aliki Chapple
@commonmugwort.bsky.social
1.3K followers 1.1K following 4K posts
Literary translator, actor, early modern drama enthusiast.
Luddite geek. Greek. Truth, justice, and the comics. Mostly in Athens.
(@amaenad from Twitter but more chill)

All photos licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
More on: https://pixelfed.social/CommonMugwort
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Aliki Chapple @commonmugwort.bsky.social · Nov 15
Hello theatre pals, and everyone. It’s nice to see you here.
I live in Athens now, and I’ve been taking a lot of pictures, relearning my way around the old place.
pixelfed.social/i/web/profil...
An old fashioned metal door with bars and a later metal panel added, with an ancient air con unit or filter in the upper left corner and an even more ancient sheet of corrugated metal, probably once a security measure rolled up above it. The door is set in a stone wall next to a plainer wall, either concrete or plastered. The whole thing is painted exactly the same colour, a sort of pale ochre.
commonmugwort.bsky.social
It’s been a few years since I have translated a play, and plays are my very favourite thing to translate, so I am casting this into the ether: Anyone got a play in Modern Greek they want in English?
#theatre #theater #θέατρο
December 2, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Reposted by Aliki Chapple
danrebellato.bsky.social
Truly beautiful piece about Tom Stoppard by his admirer and collaborator Patrick Marber.
‘There was rage and pain and iron in him’: Patrick Marber on the great hits – and fond smokes – he had with Tom Stoppard
The director worked with theatre colossus Tom Stoppard on two smash hits. Here, he remembers their heated rehearsals, the night they stayed up watching Jaws – and the last four cigarettes they smoked ...
www.theguardian.com
December 2, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Reposted by Aliki Chapple
harrywallop.co.uk
Great culture can save lives. Literally.

Amazing letter in today’s @thetimes.com about Tom Stoppard
December 2, 2025 at 8:48 AM
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Birds on a wire.
#Athens #UrbanPhotography
Colour photo taken by pointing camera up at the sky, against which: some shrubbery, a street light on its tall concrete column, which also supports two crossed wires dotted with pigeons, dark against a blue evening glow.
December 2, 2025 at 6:21 AM
Reposted by Aliki Chapple
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Theatre people: Really interesting thread.
bfletcherwatson.bsky.social Ben Fletcher-Watson @bfletcherwatson.bsky.social · 1d
Eleven years ago, I wrote to Tom Stoppard to ask about this coup de théâtre from 1949. It took me down an unexpected rabbit hole - in memory of Stoppard, here's what I found.
"Years and years ago, there was a production of The Tempest, out of doors, at an Oxford college on a lawn, which was the stage, and the lawn went back towards the lake in the grounds of the college, and the play began in natural light. But as it developed, and as it became time for Ariel to say his farewell to the world of The Tempest, the evening had started to close in and there was some artificial lighting coming on. And as Ariel uttered his last speech, he turned and he ran across the grass, and he got to the edge of the lake and he just kept running across the top of the water — the producer having thoughtfully provided a kind of walkway an inch beneath the water. And you could see and you could hear the plish, plash as he ran away from you across the top of the lake, until the gloom enveloped him and he disappeared from your view. And as he did so, from the further shore, a firework rocket was ignited, and it went whoosh into the air, and high up there it burst into lots of sparks, and all the sparks went out, and he had gone. "When you look up the stage directions, it says, 'Exit Ariel.”
December 1, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Reposted by Aliki Chapple
andydiggle.bsky.social
I named my fists Merry and Pippin because they’re small and harmless and quick to grab any nearby food or drink (especially if it comes in pints) and even though they mean well they‘re not entirely sure what the fuck they’re even doing here to be honest
litwick.net snosty the frowman @litwick.net · 18h
I named my fists Jack and Wang because together they really shake the pillars of heaven
brianschirmer.bsky.social Brian Schirmer @brianschirmer.bsky.social · 21h
I named my fists Master and Commander, because together they’re gonna send you to the far side of the world.
December 1, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Reposted by Aliki Chapple
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Sunday in the park with cars.
#Athens #UrbanPhotography
Colour photo. The windshields and hoods of a row of vintage cars, Citroën 2C, parked in the Zappeion park, windshield reflecting the trees. Cars orange, blue, yellow, red. In the background, the Anglican Church of St Paul on Filellinon.
December 1, 2025 at 6:50 AM
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Theatre people: Really interesting thread.
bfletcherwatson.bsky.social Ben Fletcher-Watson @bfletcherwatson.bsky.social · 1d
Eleven years ago, I wrote to Tom Stoppard to ask about this coup de théâtre from 1949. It took me down an unexpected rabbit hole - in memory of Stoppard, here's what I found.
"Years and years ago, there was a production of The Tempest, out of doors, at an Oxford college on a lawn, which was the stage, and the lawn went back towards the lake in the grounds of the college, and the play began in natural light. But as it developed, and as it became time for Ariel to say his farewell to the world of The Tempest, the evening had started to close in and there was some artificial lighting coming on. And as Ariel uttered his last speech, he turned and he ran across the grass, and he got to the edge of the lake and he just kept running across the top of the water — the producer having thoughtfully provided a kind of walkway an inch beneath the water. And you could see and you could hear the plish, plash as he ran away from you across the top of the lake, until the gloom enveloped him and he disappeared from your view. And as he did so, from the further shore, a firework rocket was ignited, and it went whoosh into the air, and high up there it burst into lots of sparks, and all the sparks went out, and he had gone. "When you look up the stage directions, it says, 'Exit Ariel.”
December 1, 2025 at 8:21 AM
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Αθηναίοι, σας λέει τίποτα αυτο; Εκτός απο γλυκό, δηλαδή…
alexdrace.bsky.social Alex Drace-Francis @alexdrace.bsky.social · 1d
Reading about a rock to the north-east of Athens called Panakota, does it exist today?
Panakota, rock mentioned in Sommer, Répertoire analytique et descriptif pour la carte d'Athènes et ses environs (Munich 1841), p. 35
December 1, 2025 at 7:43 AM
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Sunday in the park with cars.
#Athens #UrbanPhotography
Colour photo. The windshields and hoods of a row of vintage cars, Citroën 2C, parked in the Zappeion park, windshield reflecting the trees. Cars orange, blue, yellow, red. In the background, the Anglican Church of St Paul on Filellinon.
December 1, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Reposted by Aliki Chapple
dorianlynskey.bsky.social
I was trying to track down the source of Gramsci's "time of monsters" quote and found that it's a "mistranslation" (ie he just made it up) by Slavoj Zizek. Gramsci's line clearly translates as "morbid symptoms" instead. Mad that you can just rewrite a famous quote and get it widely accepted.
November 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by Aliki Chapple
davidcottis.bsky.social
Introduce yourself with 5 productions you’ve seen:

Scapino, starring Jim Dale, Young Vic, late 1960s
Nicholas Nickleby (over a day) RSC, 1980
The Mysteries, Cottesloe, 1980s
Road by Jim Cartwright, Royal Court, 1986
The Wars of the Roses (over a week), ESC, New Theatre, Cardiff, 1988
November 30, 2025 at 5:39 PM
commonmugwort.bsky.social
I don’t go to a lot of live music, so have a selection of the theatre performances I’ll never forget, just in case there are other theatre nerds here who want to play along:
commonmugwort.bsky.social Aliki Chapple @commonmugwort.bsky.social · 2d
Introduce yourself with 5 productions you’ve seen:

The Persians, Theatro Technis company, 1980s revival, Epidaurus.
The Cherry Orchard, BAM, 1988.
Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. RSC 2016 revival.
Give Me Your Love, Ridiculusmus.
Τοπικοί Τροπικοί (Topical Tropical), Pleiades, touring, 2025.
November 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by Aliki Chapple
lialios.bsky.social
Μεσοχώρα 2.0
Η Πολιτεία επανεκκινεί την υπόθεση του φράγματος, η ΔΕΗ εκπονεί διάφορες μελέτες (αλλά αρνείται να παρέχει πληροφόρηση σχετικά) και οι κάτοικοι του ομώνυμου χωριου περιμένουν να τους ανακοινωθεί τι θα απογίνει το χωριό τους, γιατι φυσικά δεν έχει σημασία να ξέρουν.
Η «νεκρανάσταση» του φράγματος Μεσοχώρας
Υστερα από πολυκύμαντη πορεία, το υδροηλεκτρικό έργο σχεδιάζεται να λειτουργήσει. Οι κάτοικοι αγωνιούν για το μέλλον τους.
www.kathimerini.gr
November 30, 2025 at 11:14 AM
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Introduce yourself with 5 productions you’ve seen:

The Persians, Theatro Technis company, 1980s revival, Epidaurus.
The Cherry Orchard, BAM, 1988.
Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. RSC 2016 revival.
Give Me Your Love, Ridiculusmus.
Τοπικοί Τροπικοί (Topical Tropical), Pleiades, touring, 2025.
November 30, 2025 at 7:33 AM
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Aftermath
#Athens #UrbanPhotography
Colour photo. In a plate glass window with a design of diagonal black lines in it, a pale gray curtain on the lower half, inside. Above the curtain the building opposite is reflected; bakery below, decorated with a huge gold bow for the holidays, pink neoclassical above, with a business, a law student tutoring school. The glass is partly smashed in two places, probably by a brick or rock, two closely spaced attacks with cracks radiating out in circles from them. This was taken near the law school, the week after the annual commemoration of the November 17th massacre in 1973.
November 30, 2025 at 6:59 AM
commonmugwort.bsky.social
@profanity.accountant *sighs*. Fine. Me, please.
November 30, 2025 at 6:49 AM
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Rozencrantz and Guildenstern. And Arcadia.

And going to see Shakespeare In Love in Athens with my dad, and the whole audience glaring at us as we giggled and guffawed, because the jokes just didn’t translate.
November 29, 2025 at 5:27 PM
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Starkly terrifying, not just for these dazed young people, but for the species.
jesbattis.bsky.social Jes Battis @jesbattis.bsky.social · 3d
An issue we're seeing at all levels of university is that many students are simply refusing to do *anything*. They aren't reading the syllabus, aren't following assignment guidelines, aren't engaging with material, ignoring deadlines. And this might seem like old news, but it truly has ramped up.
November 29, 2025 at 12:00 PM
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Last boost for my abandoned military hospital thread.
commonmugwort.bsky.social Aliki Chapple @commonmugwort.bsky.social · 6d
I’ve often walked past the derelict military hospital complex on Deinokratous, and tried to take photographs through the gap in the massive wooden door, but the other day I found the main gate open, and the guards placidly undisturbed by my “I like old buildings” and my wandering around.
A thread.
November 29, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Reposted by Aliki Chapple
tommortonsmith.com
Happy #caturday from Gavin.
Gavin, a white and tabby cat, looking magnificent.
November 29, 2025 at 7:38 AM
commonmugwort.bsky.social
Cinnamon cat. #Caturday #cats #CatsOfAthens
Colour photo. The cat is in profile, sitting on haunches, ad looking to camera. Green eyes, and a very unusual colour, neither orange nor that brownish black, but cinnamon brown. There’s almost no trace of tabby stripe, also unusual in a cat that isn’t black or white, just a faint stripe or two in the tail. Yellow eyes, and tense with my approach.
November 29, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Reposted by Aliki Chapple
marisakabas.bsky.social
hey the handbasket is 90 paid subscribers away from a huge goal—think we could get there today??

thehandbasket.co/upgrade

🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
November 28, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Reposted by Aliki Chapple
nickjbrumfield.bsky.social
This is one of those things where the US is good at disproving bc we literally had whole communities migrate en masse and set up their own towns in the middle of BFE Texas where they spoke German for 100 yrs and you can't tell me those folks today are the same as the fucking the Rhineland-Palatinate
publius24.bsky.social John Q. Public @publius24.bsky.social · 4d
Stephen Miller is now arguing that assimilation is fundamentally impossible and that certain cultures are not compatible with Western civilization
November 28, 2025 at 1:28 PM