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Category: 2019

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR THE AUDIENCE

Written by on . Posted in Press 2019.

Dear spectators and friends of the Festival,

In view of the upcoming performances of the “2019 International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama”, 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 the theatre. You can find tickets at STEPHANIS Stores in all cities, at selected SOEASY Kiosks in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol, at TIME OUT Kiosk in Paphos, at “In N Out” Kiosk in Paralimni, or you can buy them online at www.soldoutticketbox.com
  2. All performances start strictly at 21:00 and doors for the audience open at 20:30 the latest.
  3. You are kindly advised to arrive at the theatre at least 40 minutes before the performance.
Requirements for admission to the performances:
  • Spectators must display their ticket (in electronic or digital form) upon admission.
  • Spectators with concessions are required to display their ID card upon admission.
Please note that the following are not permitted:
  • Entry into the theatre after the performance commences.
  • Smoking and the consumption of food and/or drinks (with the exception of water).
  • The use of mobile phones during the performance.
  • Taking photographs, with or without flash, and/or filming part and/or whole of the performance.
Notes for attending performances at the Curium Ancient Theatre:

Spectators are advised to arrive at least 45 minutes before the performance. Once the available parking spaces at the archaeological site are filled, the entrance of other private cars is prohibited. The rest of the private cars shall be parked in Agios Ermogenis and spectators will be transported to the theatre by buses. The last bus route from Agios Ermogenis’ parking place to the theatre departs at 20:45. After the last bus route, spectators will have to walk from Agios Ermogenis towards the theatre, in order to attend the performance.

Notes for attending performances at the Paphos Ancient Odeon:

Due to the roadworks that are carried out in points of Ap. Pavlou Avenue, the audience is advised to arrive at the Paphos Ancient Odeon using the entrance opposite the catacomb of Saint Solomoni (from the roundabout of Kings Avenue Mall towards the port of Kato Paphos). Upon entering the archaeological site, parking spaces will be indicated. The audience is permitted to enter the archaeological site from 20:00, while the entrance of the audience to theatre is allowed at 20:30.


Thank you!

Cancellation of the production HECUBA by Euripides (Eros Ammochostos Theatre, Cyprus)

Written by on . Posted in Press 2019.

The organisers of the “2019 International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama” would like to inform the public that the production Hecuba by Euripides (Eros Ammochostos Theatre, Cyprus) is cancelled due to serious health issues of one of the production’s cast members. Therefore, the scheduled performances of the specific production in the framework of the Festival will not take place.

Spectators that have already purchased tickets for the three performances of this production, scheduled at Curium Ancient Theatre on July 2nd, at Paphos Ancient Odeon on July 4th and at “Skali” Amphitheatre on July 6th, are kindly requested to contact Sold Out Tickets (tel. 70007705 and [email protected]) to exchange or refund their tickets.

The organisers of the Festival, Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute and Deputy Ministry of Tourism, express their apologies to the public for any inconvenience caused.

  • Please check the PROGRAMME page for this year’s full programme.

Selection Committee

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Selection Committee

The seven-member Selection Committee of the “2019 International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama” consisted of two representatives of the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture: Aristodimos Anastasiades, Cultural officer A’/ chair of the committee and Georgia Hoplarou, Cultural officer; of two representatives of the Cyprus Centre of International Theatre Institute (CCOITI): Lakis Yenethlis, Set and costume designer, public relations manager of the Board of Directors of the CCOITI and Lea Maleni, Director, actress, member of the Board of Directors of the CCOITI; of one representative of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism: Irena Epaminondou, Tourism officer and of two ex officio members by the Minister of Education and Culture: Antonis Tsakmakis, Associate Professor at the Department of Classics and Philosophy, University of Cyprus and Ellada Evangelou, Theatrologist, dramaturge.

2019 INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ANCIENT GREEK DRAMA

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6 productions
14 performances
3 venues

A diverse and expansive programme, with significant international and national productions has been developed this year by the organisers of the “International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama”: the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.

Emphasizing on the quality and collaboration with major theatre institutions, and encouraging -for yet another year- local creation, an interesting programme is offered to the spectators, locals and foreigners, with performances of contemporary aesthetic and artistic approach to ancient drama.

52 proposals were submitted to participate at this year’s edition, including 8 proposals by Cypriot theatre groups and 44 proposals by theatre groups not-residing in Cyprus, specifically from 24 countries.

Six theatre groups have been selected by the seven-member Selection Committee to participate in the 23rd edition of the “International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama”, presenting performances at Paphos Ancient Odeon, Curium Ancient Theatre and “Skali” Amphitheatre in Aglantzia, from the 28th of June until the 27th of July 2019. 

The six productions of this year’s edition

The official opening of this year’s edition will take place at Paphos Ancient Odeon on the 28th of June 2019 with the first Slovenian production of Euripides’ tragedy The Trojan Women, produced by the Slovene National Theatre Nova Gorica and directed by Jaša Koceli. A performance of the same production will follow on June 30th at “Skali” Amphitheatre.

Following that, the Cypriot theatre company Eros Ammochostos Theatre will present Hecuba by Euripides directed by Giorgos Mouaimis, with Annita Santorineou in the first role. Hecuba performances will be held at Curium Ancient Theatre on July 2nd, at Paphos Ancient Odeon on July 4th and at “Skali” Amphitheatre on July 6th.

The Festival’s programme continues with Hippolytus by Euripides directed by Emilio del Valle, a co-production of Maltravieso Teatro and La Almena Producciones of Spain, in collaboration with the Mérida International Classical Theatre Festival. The Spanish production will be presented at Paphos Ancient Odeon on July 8th and at “Skali” Amphitheatre on July 10th.

The National Institute of Ancient Drama (Fondazione INDA) of the Syracuse Greek Theatre Festival in Italy, returns after 5 years to the Festival presenting Aristophanes’ comedy Lysistrata directed by the distinguished Tullio Solenghi, for two performances at Curium Ancient Theatre on July 12th and 13th.

The internationally award-winning Izumi Ashizawa directs the second Cypriot participation in the Festival, Bacchae by Euripides, a Belacqua Theatre production. Bacchae will be presented at “Skali” Amphitheatre on July 18th, at Curium Ancient Theatre on July 20th and at Paphos Ancient Odeon on July 22nd.

Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides, directed by Ioannis Kalavrianos and produced by the National Theatre of Northern Greece, marks the closing of this year’s Festival programme, with two performances at Curium Ancient Theatre on July 26th and 27th.

 

For another year, the aim of the organisers, is the continuation of the rising and successful course that the “International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama” already has on its record, the artistic quality assurance of the performances’ programme, the substantial contribution to the international and local cultural landscape and an approach towards all audience genres.

Furthermore, a desire of the organisers has always been the greatest possible attendance of Cypriot and foreign audience, that will result in the upgrade and cultivation of theatrical education, as well as the promotion of cultural tourism, through the provision of surtitles in English for all the Greek-language productions and in both Greek and English for the foreign-language productions.

  • Please check the PROGRAMME page for this year’s full programme.

IPHIGENIA IN AULIS by Euripides

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IPHIGENIA IN AULIS by Euripides

NATIONAL THEATRE OF NORTHERN GREECE

  • Friday, July 26

    Curium Ancient Theatre

  • Saturday, July 27

    Curium Ancient Theatre

Performances start at

Please arrive at the theatre before 20:15

21:00

Book now

Yannis Kalavrianos directs NTNG’s summer production, Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides, in a new translation by Pantelis Boukalas and with Anthi Efstratiadou, the 2016 recipient of the Melina Mercouri theatre award, in the role of Iphigenia.

The Greek fleet ready to sail to Troy, remains stuck in Aulis as the wind has lulled. In order for the wind to blow, it is imperative to sacrifice Iphigenia, the daughter of the commander of the Achaeans, Agamemnon. Faced with a horrific dilemma, torn between his daughter and his people, Agamemnon nevertheless decides to proceed to the sacrifice, dismissing the pleas of his wife Clytemnestra, Iphigenia, Achilles, even his own brother, Menelaus. Iphigenia ultimately reconciles with her tragic fate and accepts her heroic death for her country’s sake. In Iphigenia in Aulis, the tension between the public and the private, the male and the female, the polis and the family, generates characters who do not hesitate to cross the line.

With English surtitles

  • Translation

    Pantelis Mpoukalas

  • Direction

    Yannis Kalavrianos

  • Set/Costume design

    Alexandra Boussoulenga, Rania Yfantidou

  • Music

    Thodoris Ekonomou

  • Choreography/Movement

    Dimitris Sotiriou

  • Lighting design

    Nikos Vlassopoulos

  • Music Instruction

    Panagiotis Barlas

  • Director’s Assistant

    Alexia Mpeziki

  • Second Director’s Assistant

    Charis Pehlivanidis

  • Set/Costume Designers’ Assistants

    Elina Eftaxia, Isabela Tudorache

  • Production Coordination

    Marleen Verschuuren, Maria Lazaridou

Cast:

  • Agamemnon

    Giorgos Glastras

  • Old Man

    Giorgos Kafkas

  • Menelaus

    Nikolas Maragopoulos

  • Messenger

    Christos Stylianou

  • Clytemnestra

    Maria Tsima

  • Iphigenia

    Anthi Efstratiadou

  • Achilles

    Thanasis Raftopoulos

  • Chorus

    Momo Vlachou,
    Stellina Vogiatzi,
    Despina Gianopoulou,
    Ioanna Demertzidou,
    Danai Epithymiadi,
    Aigli Katsiki,
    Lida Koutsodaskalou,
    Maria Konstanta,
    Alexia Mpeziki,
    Zoi Mylona,
    Marianthi Pantelopoulou
    Katerina Papadaki,
    Rebecca Tsiligaridou

  • Musician on stage

    Dimitris Chountis

  • Director’s note

    Euripides, at the end of his life, offers us a work of transitions and successive dilemmas, brim-full of irony and unexpected comic moments; a text that continues to raise a plethora of discussions among literature, drama and theatre scholars.

    Like the other works that deal with the house of Atreides, it contains characters stigmatised with an ancestral curse. So, we know in advance that things are not likely to evolve smoothly.

    Impregnated with the atmosphere of his era, the doddering Athenian democracy and the upcoming defeat in the Peloponnesian War, the work depicts a world where faith in heroism and patriarchal values has been shaken. A world in which the mob becomes a protagonist of the action, while the heroes, unstable, full of weaknesses, petty, cowardly, and with constant changes of opinion, are precipitated. Only the struggle for power remains, in a different form each time. The conflict between public and private, man and woman, city and family, generate heroes who do not hesitate to cross the line.

    We are not dealing with a romantic story of self-sacrifice, or a simple patriotic drama, but with a case of constant struggle and imbalance, a story of reversals, with Euripides stating the obvious: in every war the older generation sacrifices the younger and there are many among the young who accept their destruction.

    It’s not just the wind that has ceased in Aulis but life itself. Everyone is waiting for something to happen. And very soon, this will be the abolition of logic.

    Yannis Kalavrianos

  • NATIONAL THEATRE OF NORTHERN GREECE

    The National Theatre of Northern Greece (NTNG) is currently the largest theatre and wider cultural organisation in our country. Comprising of 4 winter venues, 2 open-air theatres, and also organising Greek and international tours, it functions as an active cultural hub since 1961.

    The new institutional framework of the NTNG was passed in 1994, and according to that, the theatre is administrated by a seven-member Board of Directors and an Artistic Director.

    The NTNG is supervised and subsidised by the Ministry of Culture and Sports.

    The NTNG has been a member of the Union of Theatres of Europe (www.ute-net.org) since May 1996 and served as a member of its Board of Directors until 2013. The NTNG is also a member of the International Theatre Institute.

    The annual repertoire of the NTNG combines in-house productions, co-productions with other theatre organizations and special tributes. The NTNG also hosts Greek and international guest performances. Its activities expand well into other cultural domains, such as education, literature, fine arts, exhibitions, conferences and international festivals, educational theatre programmes and other social activities.

    Based on the core belief that education and culture are basic necessities and wishing to remain a theatre open to society, the NTNG implements in practice a strategy founded on the following:

    • Wide-ranging repertoire
    • Low ticketing policy and various classifications of benefits
    • Corporate social responsibility that focuses on population groups who for various reasons have no access to theatre performances
    • Emphasis on the production of high quality performances for children and youth.
    • Awareness raising social activities
    • Strengthening bonds and collaborations with cultural organisations, municipal authorities and charities
    • Reinforcing the theatre’s international presence

    www.ntng.gr