Nicosia, Cyprus. The 29th International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama will take place from July 3 to August 8, with performances staged in Limassol, Paphos and Nicosia. Organised by the department of contemporary culture and the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute, the festival will feature local and international productions.
Festival programme and venues
Three venues will host this year’s productions: Curium Ancient Theatre in Limassol, the Ancient Odeon in Paphos and the Makarios III Amphitheatre in Nicosia. Theatre organisations and artistic groups from Cyprus and abroad will present ancient Greek drama through contemporary stage interpretations and varied aesthetic and dramaturgical approaches.
Themes of this year’s edition
Most of the productions engage with themes including war, violence and collective trauma, reflecting the continuing relevance of ancient drama to contemporary issues.
Opening production from Spain
The festival will open on July 3 and 4 at Curium with Euripides’ The Trojan Women, presented by Come y Calla Productions & Mérida International Classical Theatre Festival from Spain. Isabel Ordaz will star as Hecuba, supported by an ensemble cast, in a production that focuses on the violence of war and its impact on the defeated.
Latvian production in Paphos
On July 10 and 11, the Ancient Odeon in Paphos will host Euripides’ Hecuba by Daugavpils Theatre of Latvia. The production uses Latgalian, a regional language of eastern Latvia, and presents the tragedy through a contemporary directorial approach centred on violence, loss and human endurance.
Greek production of Lysistrata
The National Theatre of Northern Greece will present Aristophanes’ Lysistrata on July 17 at Curium, directed by Asterios Peltekis. Elisavet Konstantinidou will perform the title role, joined by Katerina Papoutsaki, Krateros Katsoulis, Alexandra Palaiologou, Panagiotis Petrakis, Nikos Georgakis, Kostas Santas, Giannis Charisis and Sofia Kalekmeridou, along with a large ensemble of actors. The production uses Aristophanes’ humour and satire to address crisis, decay and the need for collective renewal in society.
Cypriot production closes local participation
The festival’s only Cypriot production will be Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes by Persona Theatre Company, directed by Lea Maleni. It will be staged on July 27 and 28 at Makarios III Amphitheatre and on July 31 and August 1 at Curium. The cast includes Anna Yiangiozi, Giannis Karaoulis, Semeli Kyriazi, Marina Mandri, Vasilis Michael, Andreas Papamichalopoulos and Myrsini Christodoulou in a production based on Aeschylus’ anti-war drama.
