Girl from Greece @ Studio 188

The Girl from Greece are pleased to present…

Our Big Fat Greek Café Tour!

Following their sold-out theatrical debut “The Girl from Greece: A Tribute to Nana Mouskouri” at Queensland Performing Arts Centre in 2023, and becoming the first to bring Greco Retro Jazz to the Brisbane Jazz Club in 2025, this new show continues their heartfelt celebration of Hellenic culture through story and song.

Audiences are taken on a nostalgic journey through the Golden Era of Greek cafés in Australia – the bustling meeting places that became the heart of communities across the country. Through a mix tape of Greek music, jazz and timeless favourites and joined by a stellar band including some of Queensland’s best jazz and world musicians, this production captures the soundtrack of a generation.

Sharing stories from their family’s iconic establishments, the Elite Café and Feros & Feros Café, The Girl from Greece delivers laughter, tears and unforgettable melodies, honouring the cafés and personalities who fed and nurtured generations of Australians.

The Girl From Greece is a production company co-founded by singers and creative entrepreneurs Mel Lathouras and Katerini Manolatos. The company was born out of their love for their Hellenic heritage, community, family, and storytelling through music. Creating and producing sold out shows at QPAC, The Brisbane Jazz Club and Brisbane City Hall, The Girl from Greece are passionate about celebrating music and culture.

Special opening artist: Milly Sargeant IMPORTANT unfortunately Milly is unwell and unable to perform.

Special opening presentation – Dr Toni Risson will join Girl from Greece to share stories of Ipswich’s Greek cafe’ families.

Dr Toni Risson is a storyteller and cultural historian whose work has shaped how Queensland remembers its Greek cafés. Based in Ipswich, Toni has spent her career documenting the families behind the counter – the brothers, mothers, daughters, and sons who fed regional Australia for the better part of a century.

She is the author of Aphrodite and the Mixed Grill, a beautiful study of the Greek cafés of Ipswich, and Brisbane’s Greek Cafés: A Million Malted Milks, which was a finalist in the 2019 Queensland Literary Awards. She curated Meet Me at the Paragon for the State Library of Queensland (2019-2020) and served as a Guest Curator for Picture Ipswich’s Galvanized 2022 program.

Toni’s writing spans children’s picture books to a doctorate on the magic of lollies. Her obsession with the Greek café began in childhood – her grandparents lived in Katoomba, where The Paragon café was, in her words, her Disneyland. The fascination deepened when she sat in the cold room of Ipswich’s Central Milk Bar with proprietor Maria on a 40-degree summer day, two little stools and a quiet chat behind the counter.

All ages

Ipswich City Council has transformed the historic Old Baptist Church into the intimate, well renowned performing arts venue, Studio 188. Offering a year-round program of art, culture and entertainment in the heart of Ipswich, Studio 188 boasts a flexible space, regular live music gigs, artist residencies and creative development workshops where big ideas are hatched and people come together in ways that connect and inspire. 

Studio 188 is the home for local artists and community folk to foster industry connections, gain exposure and develop new works, with regular free workshops and programs. 

Perform. Promote. Produce.