2017 INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ANCIENT GREEK DRAMA

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SATIRIKO THEATRE, CYPRUS

ELECTRA by Sophocles

▪ Sunday 2 July│Skali Amphitheatre, Aglantzia [official opening]

▪ Tuesday 4 July│Curium Ancient Theatre

▪ Monday 10 July│Paphos Ancient Odeon

The staggering Electra by Sophocles, the tragedy of the release of man against fate, produced by Satiriko Theatre, will open this year’s "International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama". Electra, the tragedy that represents the last and the most mature creative period of Sophocles, recounts the murder in the palace of Atreides, which reaches its peak with the matricide of Orestes. It's about the tragedy of the release of man against fate. Electra stays alone to bring in the end the 'catharsis' which is taking place with the murder of Clytaemnestra and Aegisthus. She is a tragic heroine who sets off from the very first moment her passion to take revenge.

Through the language, the simple language of the translation, Electra by Sophocles finds her place in today's society being more contemporary than ever. The tragedy cries for freedom and order in an era of disorder. No one is punished at the end of the play, neither the Gods nor Erynies interfere, the audience become the only judge of the two siblings.

▪ With English surtitles

Translated by Fotis Fotiou

Directed by Neoklis Neokleous

Set Design: Charis Kafkarides

Costume Design: Marina Hadjilouka

Original Music: Savvas Savva

Choreographer: Panayiotis Tofi

Movement Coaching: Neoklis Neokleous, Panayiotis Tofi

Lighting Design: Vikentios Christianidis

Assistant to the Director: Nikolas Arkadiou

Cast:

Marianna Kafkaridou (Electra), Andreas Rozou (Orestes), Anna Yiagiozi (Clytaemnestra), Vasilis Michael (Pedagogue), Kynthia Pavlidou (Chrysothemis), Leandros Taliotis (Aegisthus), Nikolas Arkadiou (Pylades)

Chorus (Women of Argos): Maria Andreou, Themis Ppolou, Eirini Salata, Zena Kafkaridou, Elena Oroklinioti, Theodora Andreou, Christina Gavrielidou, Kyriaki Papadopoulou, Christina Pieri, Michailina Sougari.

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MIKHAIL CHEKHOV RIGA RUSSIAN THEATRE, LATVIA

MEDEA by Euripides

▪ Friday 7 July│Curium Ancient Theatre

▪ Sunday 9 July│Skali Amphitheatre, Aglantzia

The Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theatre (RRT), one of the oldest Russian theatres in the world outside Russia, founded in 1883, presents Medea by Euripides, directed by Vladislav Nastavšev, one of Latvia's most prominent directors and composers.

In this masterly tragedy, which deals with the last act of the passionate affair between Jason and Medea, Jason decides to abandon his wife in order to marry the daughter of the king of Corinth. Medea takes the cruelest revenge: she kills their two children. With Medea, which combines moral complexity with overwhelming emotional impact, Euripides has succeeded in creating not only one of the most powerful figures in all Greek literature, but also one of its greatest tragic dramas. The fascination of bright, sharp and passionate myths has not been fading for more than two thousand years.

▪ With Greek and English surtitles

Translated by Innocenty Annensky

Directed by Vladislav Nastavšev

Set Design/Music Composition: Vladislav Nastavšev

Costumes: Rūta Kuplā

Lighting: Oskars Pauliņš

Cast:

Guna Zariņa (Medea), Mikhail Troynik (Jason), Igors Čerņavskis (Creon), Maksims Busels (Messenger), Andrejs Graņenko (Child), Arjē Ļermans (Child)

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NATIONAL THEATRE OF NORTHERN GREECE

SEVEN AGAINST THEBES by Aeschylus

▪ Wednesday 12 July│Curium Ancient Theatre

▪ Thursday 13 July│Curium Ancient Theatre

The NTNG presents the Aeschylian political tragedy, Seven Against Thebes, directed by the renowned Lithuanian director, Cezaris Graužinis and translated by the Greek poet Yiorgos Blanas, one of the most successful performances of last year in Greece.

When his horrific deeds are revealed, Oedipus leaves the throne to his two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, who agreed to rule Thebes in rotation. However, when the time came for Polynices to take reign, Eteocles did not keep his promise. This provoked the wrath of Polynices, who allied with the king of Argos Adrastus and organized a military campaign against Thebes.  Seven leaders of each of the two rival armies lined up on either side of the seven gates of Thebes. Eteocles–the tragedy’s only real protagonist–and Polynices end up facing each other outside the seventh gate of besieged Thebes as Eteocles tries to organize a counter attack in a battle which is destined to have no real victor.

▪ With English surtitles

Translated by Yiorgos Blanas

Directed by Cezaris Graužinis

Set and costume design: Kenny MacLellan

Music: Dimitris Theocharis

Choreography - Movement: Edgen Lame

Lighting design: Alekos Yiannaros

Music Instruction: Panagiotis Barlas

Assistant to the director: Athina Samartzidou

Assistant to the set and costume designer: Maria Mylona

Production Co-ordinator: Filothei Eleftheriadou

Cast: 

Yannis Stankoglou (Eteocles), Clio-Danae Othoneou (Antigone), Iovi Fragatou (Ismene), Giorgos Kafkas (Messenger), Alexandros Tsakiris (Herald), Giorgos Papandreou (Polynices)

Chorus: Loukia Vasileiou, Momo Vlachou, Dimitris Drosos, Eleni Thymiopoulou, Dafni Kiourktsoglou, Christos Mastrogiannidis, Vasilis Papageorgiou, Stavrianna Papadaki, Grigoris Papadopoulos, Alexia Sapranidou, Polyxeni Spyropoulou, Giorgos Sfyridis, Evanthia Sofronidou, Konstantinos Hatzisavvas

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THEATRO DENTRO, CYPRUS

OEDIPUS THE KING by Sophocles

▪ Sunday 16 July│Skali Amphitheatre, Aglantzia

▪ Friday 21 July│Paphos Ancient Odeon

▪ Sunday 23 July│Curium Ancient Theatre

Theatro Dentro participates at the Festival for its first time and presents Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, perhaps the most emblematic ancient drama of them all, the tragedy which examines the individual in respect of personal freedom, power, society and divine will.  

The oracle at Delphi predicts that Thebes will be saved as soon as the person responsible for the death of King Laius is found and expelled from the city. So, Oedipus begins an investigation. The deeper he goes, the closer it brings him to the truth. Three stages, three Oedipuses in time. It damages them and declares the existence of death. Oedipus himself, who had saved Thebes from the scourge of the Sphinx, is now responsible for the moral pollution of the city. Truth becomes timeless, it transcends people’s lifetime, it overcomes death. Oedipus becomes one of us, and we become him.

▪ With English surtitles

Translated by Valentina Eftivoulou

Directed by Andy Papadimitriou

Set/Costume Design: Lakis Yenethlis

Music: Alexandros Koxaras

Lighting Design: Christos Gogakis

Assistant to the Director: Petros Scoullo

Production Manager: Ioannis Louras

Cast:

Stavros Louras (Old Oedipus, Priest, Teiresias), Koullis Nicolaou (Middle-aged Oedipus, Creon, Therapon), Giorgos Kyriakou (Young Oedipus, Creon, Messenger A, Messenger B), Stela Fyrogeni (Jocasta), Asterios Peltekis (Chorus Leader Α), Tasos Tziviskos (Chorus Leader B)

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YAIR SHERMAN ENSEMBLE, ISRAEL

THE BACCHAE by Euripides

▪ Wednesday 26 July│Paphos Ancient Odeon

▪ Friday 28 July│Skali Amphitheatre, Aglantzia

The award-winning Israeli director, Yair Sherman, presents Euripides' Bacchae in a contemporary reading of the play, an exciting directing approach and a highly aesthetic artistic result, in the production that gave him the "Golden Porcupine – Director of the Year", for 2016.

In Bacchae, one of the most complete and enigmatic plays of the world dramaturgy, Dionysus is starring as a humanized god, penetrating as a new force to enforce his own worship. In a game of couplings and transformations, myth and history meet the poetic rebirth, while unexpectedly the tragic, the dramatic and the theatrical element coexist. God Dionysus abolishes the boundaries between people, social order, gender, age, and even the difference between human and divine qualities. The city that denies his existence will experience the power and dominance of God through a mysterious, dark and bloody nightmare.

▪ With Greek and English surtitles

Translated by Aharon Shabtai

Directed by Yair Sherman

Composer: Eldad Lidor

Set Design: Adam Keller

Costumes: Rona Plotek

Light design/operator: Nadav Barnea

Sound operator: Damian Marin

Cast:

Nadav Bossem (Dionysus), Uri Avrahami (Teiresias), Avi Pnini (Cadmus), Shai Egozi (Pentheus), Ora Meirson (Messenger), Eyal Heyne Galli (Second Messenger), Shiri Golan (Agaue), Nitzan Rotschild (Euripides)

Bacchae: Zohar Meidan, Aurelle Maor, Lior Blaus, Ruth Dannon

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NOTES:

Greek language performances will be presented with English surtitles and foreign performances with Greek and English surtitles.

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To facilitate the public in Nicosia, free shuttle transport from Nicosia to Curium Ancient Theatre will be offered, for the two performances of NTNG’s production, Seven Against Thebes, on 12^th and 13^th of July.

▪ Departure: 18:30 (parking opposite the Handicraft Centre in Athalassa Avenue)

▪ Reservations are obligatory on 7000 2414, until the 7^th of July, 2017

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Spectators attending performances at the Curium Ancient Theatre are advised to arrive at least 45 minutes before the performance. Cars must be parked at St. Hermogenes and spectators will be transported to the theatre by buses. The last bus route from St. Hermogenes to the theatre departs at 20:45.