Biography

Maira is a stage designer working for theatre, opera and film. She trained at Central School Of Speech & Drama. Born in Greece she has found a second home in London where she is based for the last 20 years.

Her theatre designs credits include: Salvadores Dei at the ancient amphitheatre of Odeon of Herodes Atticus under Acropolis in Athens -Greece. The acclaimed show has been touring many years in various venues around Greece.

Including: Megaro Mousikis and Michalis Kakogiannis; Jamaica Inn  (Tabard Theatre); From The Silence Of The Display Cases To Living Theatrical Voices, a collaboration of Benaki Museum with the National Theatre Of Greece – four different projects Erofilis Needlework, Twelve Heads Of Garlic and Fifteen Onions, What The Old Man Said, The Initiation Of Neoptolemos, which exhibits of various collections in the museum provided the spark for a dramatised work; Dance With the Devil (Lilian Baylis Studio-Sadlers Wells); Salome (Hoxton Hall); Dea a new trilogy written and directed by Edward Bond (Secombe Theatre); Macbeth (National Theatre Of Northern Greece – nominated for best set & costume design); Sweet Bird Of Youth (Alma Theatre -Athens); I’m a Minger (Belgrade Theatre & National Tour); Medea, Lysistrata (Riverside studios); Antigone (Riverside studios & International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama, Cyprus); Ghost (Stavros Tou Notou –Athens); The Three Princesses Who Sung and Danced (National Theatre Of Cyprus – THOC); Guernica (National Theatre Of Greece); Chutney (Greenwich & Docklands Festival & International Tour); Velvet Scratch (Edinburgh, Prague, Athens & New York Festivals – Voted Best Show at Prague International Fringe Festival); Fresh Meat, Told You So (Courtyard Theatre).

I aimed to create one structure which integrates visually the text and can be transformed to various locations. That was the spiral. A complex and powerful symbol which with its dynamic movement, symbolizes time, evolution, repetition, infinity. The beginning of Macbeth’s journey, his ambition to conquer power, destruction, the fall and after that the repetition. The spiral is directly linked to mothers, goddesses and fertility, female elements which I wanted to include as Lady Macbeth had a substantial role in the play.

This robust, architectural structure gives a plethora of entrances and exits which could also refer to the Highlands of Scotland. It is transformed from a palace into a battlefield and from a festive reception to a place of destruction. Video projection complements the abstract set by dressing the topographic and emotional atmosphere as well as the rhythm of the show.