Annual festival returns with an exciting line up

The International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama returns this summer with impressive, contemporary renditions of long-standing tales. Once again, top-tier theatre companies have been chosen to present their productions at the festival.

Four productions comprise this year’s agenda, which will take place from July 9 until August 2 at the Makarios III Amphitheatre in Nicosia, Curium Ancient Theatre in Limassol and the Ancient Odeon in Paphos. The productions are from Italy, Greece and Cyprus, each offering its own unique artistic vision and approach to ancient Greek drama.

Inaugurating this year’s edition will be The Bacchae by Euripides, presented by the Dide Cultural Association – Amenanos Festival, Italy. Daniele Salvo, one of the most authoritative Italian directors in the reinterpretation of Greek tragedies, returns to direct Euripides’ The Bacchae, delving into the savage world of Euripides with a select cast of Italian actors. The Italian production, will be presented at the Makarios III Amphitheatre on July 9 and Curium on July 12.

Then, Christos Tripodis’ Methexis company will present Philoctetes by Sophocles, the tragedy that masterfully deals with the victory of the collective over the individual, directed by George Kimoulis. A Philoctetes, Kimoulis is joined by Dimitris Gotsopoulos (Neoptolemus) and Thodoris Katsafados (Odysseus/Merchant), creating a field of profound interpretive depth in a production that highlights the perpetual conflict between morality and expediency. The Sophoclean tragedy will be presented at Curium for two performances on July 18 and 19.

Next it will be time for a Cypriot production. Iphigenia in Tauris is directed by Onisiforos Onisiforou and co-produced by Theatriki Stegi Kyprou and Anyhow Theatre Ensemble. Supported by a remarkable team from Cyprus’ contemporary theatre scene, Onisiforou, in his first direction of ancient Greek drama, entrusts the lead role of Iphigenia to Myrsinie Christodoulou, who is joined on stage by the director himself, Konstantinos Tsitsios, Vasilis Vasilakis, Panos Makris, Kristie Charalambous, Eleni Anastasiou, Maria Kasinou, Ioanna Kordatou, Semeli Kyriazi, Maria Constantinou and Andrea Mavrou.

The Cypriot production will be presented for three performances at the Paphos Ancient Odeon on July 24 and 25 and then at the Makarios III Amphitheatre on July 29.

Greece’s Poreia Theatre will return to the festival after three years with Sophocles’ Electra under the direction of Dimitris Tarlow, to present August’s only production. Loukia Michalopoulou performs the title role of Electra, while the artistic ensemble is further enriched by Anastasis Roilos (as Orestes), Ioanna Pappa (as Clytemnestra), and Nikolas Papagiannis (as Aegisthus), among others.

With a translation by Giorgos Chimonas and music by Fotis Siotas, the production weaves a poetic and harsh world where the quest for justice crashes upon the ruins of morality. Poreia Theatre’s production will be staged twice at Curium on August 1 and 2, concluding this year’s Festival performance programme.

International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama

2025 festival edition with productions from Italy, Greece, and Cyprus. July 9-August 2. Makarios III Amphitheatre, Nicosia, Curium Ancient Theatre, Limassol, Ancient Odeon, Paphos. Tel: 7000-2414, www.greekdramafest.com