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:
▫ SOLDOUT TICKETS
▫ STEPHANIS stores
▫ TIME OUT KIOSK Paphos
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”.