Following the warm response from the audience, Fantastical Theatre presents a new cycle of performances of the theatrical reading The Other Era at the Hampis Municipal Museum of Printmaking in Nicosia. This January and February, Magda Kitromilidou’s narrative returns to the stage under the direction of Magdalena Zira.

The Greek-language theatrical readings will take place on January 28, 30, 31 and February 4, 6 and 7 at 8pm and at 6pm on February 1 and 8. The play is set in April 1941 when a group of Cypriot students are trapped in Athens following the German invasion, unable to return to their homeland or communicate with their families. Caught in the whirlwind of the Second World War, these young people attempt to resist fascism while simultaneously experiencing the first major defining moments of their lives – love, loss, betrayal and a direct confrontation with history itself.

At the heart of the story are Magda, her sister Angeliki, and Mikis, who would later become Magda’s partner – three characters who, as they struggle to chart their course through a turbulent era, bear witness to historical events that marked Greece and the world. Through their eyes, the Athens of 1941-45 unfolds vividly before the audience, with moments of lost beauty alongside moments of profound pain.

With tenderness and humanity, the play highlights the strength of the human spirit in the face of violence and oppression, while also offering a rare perspective on the occupation of Athens through the testimony of a young Cypriot woman during the harsh process of coming of age.

The autobiographical narrative of Magda Kitromilidou is presented on stage for the first time in an adaptation, dramatisation and directorial interpretation by Magdalena Zira, shedding light on a distinctive aspect of Greek and Cypriot history.

Today, Magda Kitromilidou’s narrative resonates with unsettling relevance. The erosion of democratic values once again looms as a threat, making the work a deeply human and political reminder: freedom and dignity are won only when we refuse to turn a blind eye to the injustice around us.

The Other Era (I Alli Epoxi)

Theatrical reading based on Magda Kitromilidou’s narrative. Directed by Magdalena Zira. Presented by Sezon Gynaikes. January 28, 30, 31 and February 4, 6 and 7. 8pm, 6pm on February 1 and 8.  Hampis Municipal Museum of Printmaking, Nicosia. 8.30pm. In Greek. €15. www.more.com/cy-en/tickets/theater/i-alli-epoxi/