Limassol, Cyprus. The National Theatre of Greece will present Euripides’ Alcestis, directed by Dimitris Karantzas, at the Curium Ancient Theatre on August 7 and 8. The production is the fifth and final presentation in this year’s International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama.
Production and cast
Iro Bezou will perform the title role of Alcestis. The cast also includes Konstantinos Avarikiotis, Dimitra Vlagkopoulou, Giorgos Zygouris, Giannis Niarros, Kostas Nikouli, Aineias Tsamatis and Theodora Tzimou.
Karantzas stages the work as a contemporary parable examining life and death, tragedy and comedy, and the relationship between playfulness and nightmare.
The play
In Euripides’ tragedy, Admetus can avoid death only if another person agrees to die in his place. Alcestis, his wife, offers her life in exchange.
The play is the only surviving ancient Greek tragedy to bring both Death and Resurrection onto the stage. The production addresses questions of power, gender, sacrifice and social responsibility.
Music, sound and movement form part of the staging, alongside shifting theatrical styles.
Festival programme
The National Theatre of Greece production follows Lea Maleni’s Cypriot festival participation, Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus, which will be staged on July 27, 28 and 31 and on August 1 in Nicosia and Limassol.
Alcestis will conclude the festival at the Curium Ancient Theatre. Performances begin at 9pm and will include English and Greek surtitles.
For information, call 7000-2414 or visit www.greekdramafest.com and www.soldoutticketbox.com.
