Alex Lykos is excited. He always is when we chat about creative arts projects, especially in his area, near the Greek Precinct of Marrickville.
It dawned on me what a truly remarkable and creative genius Alex is when he MC’d an event to help launch Greek Precinct in 2021. How else can you explain his ability to seamlessly transition from tennis player on the US circuit, mathematics teacher, playwright, actor, CEO for his Marrickville based Bulldog Theatre Company, screenwriter for his three feature films, Director, occasional MC and stand up. His latest offering is a thought-provoking comedy, NEANDERTHAL, Ravings of a Primitive Man, set to debut at the prestigious Sydney Comedy Festival. The venue is of course Marrickville’s The Factory Theatre.
Most of us have seen at least one of his hit shows, with the first premiering in 2006, as Alex & Eve. What started as a small local play at Sidetrack Shed Theatre in Marrickville, morphed into a run at Factory Theatre, then onto Enmore Theatre by 2008. Alex & Eve procreated generating sequels such as Alex & Eve: The Baby, and a number of other successful stage plays over the next decade.
His first film came out in 2015, generating attention across the nation and internationally. So good are his films that his follow up, Me & My Left Brain, based on his stage show A Long Night, was also released nationally, picked up internationally and by commercial TV. In 2024, he released Disconnect Me, one of the most watched feature documentaries at the Australian Box Office this decade. Not bad for a Greek-Australian from Marrickville.
While he prepares for NEANDERTHAL, he is of course the opposite as Alex remains grounded, respectful and engaging with the public, despite his successes.
I had the privilege of seeing a sneak peak of his new stand-up comedy, as I did with his 2021 Jawbone one man show with 15 different personas, and I was in tears, laughing. His genius and comedy element shone brightly, as he tested skits from a show which will officially debut on 25 April.
NEANDERTHAL delves into the inner-workings of the male. With trademark sharp humour and a touch of irreverence, Alex explores how some males truly think and the impact that “thinking” has on their relationships with females and their offspring. This will be a no-holds-barred show.
Alex tells me that the concept of the new show came via “a news story about the way women are treated, I have a young daughter. That was the genesis of this project.” He developed themes relating to the concept in “a format that one would least expect; disarming the audience with live comedy. I jotted some ideas and became interested in the format of comedy and the language of comedy. This process began in October, it was fluid, free writing the show.
Alex continues, “I want people to walk away with the seed planted in their minds about the relationship to ourselves and to the opposite sex.”
What next for the multi-talented Alex?
Alex explained that he is working on his fourth feature film. “It is currently in development, we may do it as a stage show first to test it out later this year and then we are hoping to shoot the movie in 2026. Films are like a slow-moving ship, they can take a while to get going, up to three years. Whereas the comedy show has developed (quickly) since October to the point it is now ready.”
Catch NEANDERTHAL, Ravings of a Primitive Man on 25, 26, and 27 April at The Factory, Marrickville
*Billy Cotsis is the author of Aristotle Roberto Carlos Smithopoulos, Amazon.
