Marking 29 years this summer, the newest edition of the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama is coming next month. Organised by the department of contemporary culture and the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute, the festival will be held from July 3 to August 8.

Three locations in different cities will once again host local and international productions: Curium Ancient Theatre in Limassol, the Ancient Odeon in Paphos and the Makarios III Amphitheatre in Nicosia.

Prominent theatre organisations and artistic groups from abroad and Cyprus are again taking part this year, each approaching ancient Greek drama through contemporary stage interpretations and diverse aesthetic and dramaturgical perspectives.

Most of the productions engage, in different ways, with the themes of war, violence and collective trauma, highlighting the timeless power of ancient drama to shed light on pressing issues of the contemporary world.

Opening the festival on July 3 and 4 is Euripides’ The Trojan Women which will be presented at Curium by Come y Calla Productions & Mérida International Classical Theatre Festival from Spain.

The acclaimed Spanish actress Isabel Ordaz stars as Hecuba, supported by a dynamic ensemble of actors, in a performance that transforms Euripides’ tragedy into a contemporary theatrical experience, highlighting the violence of war and its consequences on the bodies and lives of the defeated.

Seven Against Thebes (Photo: Vasilis Theofanous)

Two performances will follow at Paphos Ancient Odeon on July 10 and 11, as the Latvian Daugavpils Theatre presents Hecuba by Euripides. The production stands out for its use of Latgalian, a regional language of eastern Latvia, lending a distinctive, almost primal tone to the stage language. Through a contemporary directorial approach, Hecuba becomes a reflection on violence, loss and human endurance, engaging with a world where conflicts continue to leave indelible marks.

Next will be a production from Greece. The National Theatre of Northern Greece presents Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, on July 17 and at Curium, directed by Asterios Peltekis, with Elisavet Konstantinidou in the title role. She is joined on stage by Katerina Papoutsaki, Krateros Katsoulis, Alexandra Palaiologou, Panagiotis Petrakis, Nikos Georgakis, Kostas Santas, Giannis Charisis and Sofia Kalekmeridou, alongside a large ensemble of actors. The performance, through the humour and satirical force of Aristophanes, articulates a deeply political discourse on crisis, decay and the need for a collective restart of society.

The only Cypriot production of the festival is by Persona Theatre Company, directed by award-winning artist Lea Maleni. On July 27 and 28 at Makarios III Amphitheatre and July 31 and August 1 at Curium, Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes will be presented.

Supported by an outstanding group of artists, Maleni entrusts the roles of the production to Anna Yiangiozi, Giannis Karaoulis, Semeli Kyriazi, Marina Mandri, Vasilis Michael, Andreas Papamichalopoulos and Myrsini Christodoulou, composing a polyphonic stage creation that engages with the present through Aeschylus’ emblematic anti-war drama.

Wrapping up this year’s events is National Theatre of Greece’s adaptation of Alcestis by Euripides. Under the direction of Dimitris Karantzas, the production proposes a reading of the play, constantly hovering between tragedy and comedy, life and death, shedding light with a strong political dimension on issues of sacrifice, power and social responsibility, transforming Euripides’ play into a contemporary political parable on sacrifice, authority and the cost of salvation. Catch it on August 7 and 8 at Curium.

29th International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama

Pioneering performances of Greek drama from Spain, Latvia, Greece and Cyprus. July 3-August 8. Curium Ancient Theatre, Limassol. Ancient Odeon, Paphos. Makarios III Amphitheatre, Nicosia. Tel: 7000-2414. www.greekdramafest.com, www.soldoutticketbox.com