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OFFICIAL PERFORMANCES’ PROGRAMME

Four productions will be presented in this year’s International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama, co-organised by the Deputy Ministry of Culture, the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.

The International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama raises its curtain once again and is ready to offer to the public a month, full of inspiring theatrical moments. The audience will enjoy four productions of high artistic level, contemporary aesthetic and artistic approach by a group of prominent theatre organisations.

This year’s Festival will take place from July 10 to August 5, 2023, and the performances will be presented at the Makarios III Amphitheatre in Nicosia, the Curium Ancient Theatre in Limassol and the Ancient Odeon in Paphos.

The productions of the Festival

The award-winning Cypriot director Kostas Silvestros returns to the Festival seven years after Plutus, a production that caused a sensation to audiences and critics alike. The director will present, in a poetic mood, a production of the Sophoclean tragedy Antigone, having at his side, an exceptional group of artists of the contemporary Cypriot theatre scene. The Cypriot production marks the opening of the Festival and will be presented at the Makarios III Amphitheatre on July 10, at the Paphos Ancient Odeon on July 18 and at the Curium Ancient Theatre on July 21.

The next production is The Trojan Women by Euripides produced by the National Theatre of Northern Greece (NTNG). Directed by Christos Sougaris, music composed by Stefanos Korkolis, the production includes a superb cast of actors, amongst them, Roula Pateraki in the role of Hecuba. The production of the NTNG will be presented at the Curium Ancient Theatre, for two performances, on July 14 and 15.

The internationally renowned and acclaimed Greek director, Theodoros Terzopoulos, directs the Hungarian National Theatre’s production of The Bacchae by Euripides, featuring a remarkable cast of Hungarian actors. The great master of theatre, with his unwavering decade-long international theatrical presence, introduces his sixth directorial approach to The Bacchae. The thrilling Euripidean tragedy will be presented at the Curium Ancient Theatre on July 29 and at the Makarios III Amphitheatre on July 31.

The National Theatre of Greece participates in the Festival with the masterpiece Hippolytus by Euripides, directed by the distinguished theatre director and Artistic Director of the Athens Epidaurus Festival, Katerina Evangelatos. With a group of renowned artists and a stellar cast of 24 actors and four musicians on stage, the director delves into the savage world of Euripides’ play, presenting yet another interesting approach to ancient Greek drama. The production of the National Theatre of Greece will be presented for two performances, at the Curium Ancient Theatre on August 4 and 5.

Tickets sales are now on:
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Info: 7000 2414 │ www.greekdramafest.com

Ticket prices:
€12 regular
€8 concessions (for students, senior citizens, National Guard, unemployed)
€35 festival pass (per person for attending all four performances)
For more info at www.greekdramafest.com


FESTIVAL’S PROGRAMME

KOSTAS SILVESTROS & STAVROS STAVROU
ANTIGONE by Sophocles
Directed by Kostas Silvestros
▪ Monday, July 10 │ Makarios III Amphitheatre
▪ Tuesday, July 18 │ Paphos Ancient Odeon
▪ Friday, July 21 │ Curium Ancient Theatre
With English surtitles

NATIONAL THEATRE OF NORTHERN GREECE
THE TROJAN WOMEN by Euripides
Directed by Christos Sougaris
▪ Friday, July 14 │ Curium Ancient Theatre
▪ Saturday, July 15 │ Curium Ancient Theatre
With English surtitles

HUNGARIAN NATIONAL THEATRE
THE BACCHAE by Euripides
Directed by Theodoros Terzopoulos
▪ Saturday, July 29 │ Curium Ancient Theatre
▪ Monday, July 31 │ Makarios III Amphitheatre
With Greek and English surtitles

NATIONAL THEATRE OF GREECE
HIPPOLYTUS by Euripides
Directed by Katerina Evangelatos
▪ Friday, August 4 │ Curium Ancient Theatre
▪ Saturday, August 5 │ Curium Ancient Theatre
With English surtitles


The organisers’ goal is to continue the ascending and successful course of the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama, as well as, to ensure the artistic quality of the productions and the greatest possible attendance and access of the Cypriot audience and foreign visitors to the performances. The Festival will thus succeed in enhancing and cultivating theatre education and in upgrading cultural tourism in Cyprus.

A total of 38 proposals were submitted for participation this year, by theatre organisations and artists from 22 countries. After examining and evaluating the proposals, the seven-member Selection Committee resulted in formulating a diverse programme of productions, with special emphasis on quality.

Selection Committee
The Selection Committee for the Festival 2023, consisted of one representative of the Deputy Ministry of Culture: Georgia Hoplarou, Cultural Officer/Chair of the Committee; two representatives of the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute (CCOITI): Emilios Charalambides, Academic, Director, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the CCOITI and Nicos Theophanous, Director, Member of the Board of Directors of the CCOITI; one representative of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism: Andri Tomasidou, Assistant Tourism Officer and of three members according to merit, appointed by the Deputy Minister of Culture: Elena Agathocleous, Director/Actor, Elena Katsouri, Set designer and Apostolos Kouroupakis, Cultural editor of the newspaper “Kathimerini Cyprus”.


 

Announcement of the official programme of the performances

5 productions compose this year’s programme of the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama, co-organised by the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth, the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.

25 years after the first Festival in 1997, the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama is raising the curtain this year on July 6, in order to offer the theatre-loving public a month full of powerful and emotional moments.

This year’s 25th anniversary edition of the Festival, which will take place from July 6 to August 6 2022, includes five productions of the highest artistic standards with a contemporary aesthetic and artistic approach on ancient Greek drama, staged by important theatre organisations. The productions will be presented at the Paphos Ancient Odeon, the Makarios III Amphitheatre in Nicosia and the Curium Ancient Theatre.

Once again, this year, the organisers’ aim is to continue the upward and successful course of the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama, in order to ensure the artistic quality of the productions and to attract as many Cypriots and foreign visitors to the performances, in order to upgrade and cultivate theatrical education, and to ensure the Festival’s contribution to cultural tourism in Cyprus.

A total of 42 proposals for participation in this year’s Festival were submitted by theatre organisations and artists from 20 countries.

The seven-member Selection Committee, which examined and very carefully evaluated the proposals that were submitted and met the criteria for participation in the Festival, formulated an extremely open and diverse programme of productions.

 

The five productions of this year’s festival

The festival will open with Oedipus the King by Sophocles, from Bosnia Herzegovina, in a joint production between the National Theatre of Sarajevo and the International MESS Theatre Festival. Oedipus, the cursed king of Thebes, son and murderer of Laius, son of Jocasta and father of her children, in an effort to unravel the thread of events, finds himself at the centre of the labyrinth, with himself as the target. Through his directorial approach, distinguished Slovenian director, Diego de Brea, underlines the coldness, suffering, barbarity and evil that emanate from people as if from Pandora’s Box. This tragedy by Sophocles will be presented at Paphos Ancient Odeon on July 6 and at Makarios III Amphitheatre on July 8.

The Poreia Theatre is participating in this year’s Festival with Aeschylus’s masterpiece, Prometheus Bound, translated by Giorgos Blanas and directed by Aris Biniaris, with a distinguished cast: Yannis Stankoglou in the leading role, Konstantinos Georgalis, David Malteze, Alekos Syssovitis, Nancy Boukli and Ioannis Papazisis. Director Aris Biniaris, has drawn inspiration from the rhythmical qualities of the text, and continues his study on ancient tragedies with the actors transforming the sounds and rhythms of the poetic text into theatrical action using their bodies and voices. Against the backdrop of a pulsating, live soundscape, the performers bring to life the characters of an age-old but always relevant story in which Prometheus becomes a timeless symbol of resistance. This devastating tragedy by Aeschylus which was performed with enormous success at the Epidaurus Festival in 2021 and was loved by both critics and public, will be presented at Curium Ancient Theatre on July 22 and 23.

The National Theatre of Northern Greece (NTNG) is returning to the Festival after a three-year absence, with Euripides’ Helen, translated by Pantelis Boukalas and directed by Vasilis Papavassiliou, with a numerous cast of actors and musicians on stage. Euripides drew inspiration from the version of the myth created by the lyric poet Stesichorus and not from Homer. He depicts the Trojan War as a massacre carried out for the sake of a ‘simulacrum’ and not a real woman. Through an imaginative directorial approach, the NTNG production highlights the comic elements of Euripides’ Helen, creating a celebratory atmosphere, an anti-war clash on stage. Helen will be presented at Curium Ancient Theatre on July 29 and 30.

The National Theatre of Greece is presenting the emblematic Ajax by Sophocles, directed by Argyris Xafis with a cast of major leading actors and artists. The main roles are portrayed by Stathis Stamoulakatos, Dimitris Imellos, Despina Kourti, Tassos Mikelis, Giannis Dalianis, Evi Saoulidou, Christos Stylianou and Nikos Hatzopoulos. Ajax, a warrior equal to Achilles, becomes a deadly enemy to the leaders of the army and a toy in the hands of the gods, and proves unable to follow the spirit of the newly emerging age. In Ajax, Sophocles records a seminal moment in human history: the moment in which a new world is born and the old collapses, with the old heroes and their ideals crashing with it headlong into the abyss. Ajax which will be performed at Curium Ancient Theatre on August 5 and 6, will through a curtain in the programme of this year’s Festival.

PERFORMANCES’ PROGRAMME

 


 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

For spectators attending the performances at Curium Ancient Theatre

Dear spectators and friends of the Festival,

In view of the upcoming performances of the Festival at Curium Ancient Theatre, we provide below important information for your convenience and for the smoothest run of the shows:

  1. Purchase your tickets in advance before heading to Curium Ancient Theatre. You can find tickets at selected SOEASY Kiosks in all cities, at TIME OUT Kiosk in Paphos, at “In N Out” Kiosk in Paralimni, or you can buy them online at www.SoldoutTickets.com.cy
  2. You are kindly advised to arrive at the Curium Ancient Theatre at least 45 minutes before the performance.
  3. All performances start strictly at 21:00 and doors for the audience open at 20:30 the latest.
  4. Cars must be parked at St. Hermogenes and spectators will be transported to the theatre by buses. The last bus route from St. Hermogenes to the theatre departs at 20:45.
  5. Smoking, and the consumption of food and drinks at the theatre are not allowed. The damage caused to the monument surfaces from various waste material (chewing gums, etc.) is irreversible. For this reason, spectators are requested to use the rubbish bins located in the archaeological area for discarding any garbage and trash.
  6. You are reminded that the use of mobile phones during performance as well as taking photographs, with or without flash, and/or filming part and/or whole of the performance, are prohibited.

Thank you!

What to see in this year’s Festival

6 productions
14 performances
3 venues
1st – 30th of July 2018


Trojan Women
by Euripides, directed by Andreas Christodoulides and produced by Theatro ENA, marks the opening of this year’s Festival, on the 1st of July at Paphos Ancient Odeοn, while more performances of the production will be held at Curium Ancient Theatre and at “Skali” Amphitheatre, in Aglantzia.

Stefi Productions, Roads & Oranges Films, Municipal and Regional Theatre of Kozani and the Municipal and Regional Theatre of Veria, presents in co-production, the Aeschylean tragedy Agamemnon, directed by the internationally renowned Cezaris Graužinis for two performances at Curium Ancient Theatre.

The Hungarian theatre group Spectrum Theatre presents at “Skali” Amphitheatre, Aglantzia and at Paphos Ancient Odeon, Euripides’ Medea, directed by Viola Török.

Returning to the Festival, the National Theatre of Northern Greece (NTNG), presents Euripides’ tragedy Orestes, directed by the artistic director of the NTNG, Yannis Anastasakis, in a new translation by the Greek poet Yorgos Blanas, for two performances at Curium Ancient Theatre.

The second Cypriot production is Alcestis by Euripides, in a production of the Fresh Target Theatre Ensemble and directed by Paris Erotokritou, taking place at the “Skali” Amphitheatre, Aglantzia, at Paphos Ancient Odeon and at Curium Ancient Theatre.

The State Drama Rustaveli Theatre of Georgia presents Sophocles’ tragedy, Electra, directed by the artistic director of the Rustaveli Theatre and internationally famous Robert Sturua, by Grigoris Karantinakis and Nikoloz Heine-Shvelidze, at Paphos Ancient Oden and “Skali” Amphitheatre, Aglantzia.