Overview
The International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama is a distinct cultural event with an international character that for the past two decades has been hosting theatre companies from all over the world to present Ancient Greek dramas in their own languages at various locations across the island.
In general, the annual performances throughout the month of July incorporate the flavor of the performers’ countries and open a dialogue with contemporary stages and an international audience.
The festival was launched in 1997 after the board of directors of the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute aspired to give Ancient Greek drama a wider presence in the theatrical activities of the island and thus contribute to the building of theatrical sensibilities among the public.
This led them to offer entertainment of a multicultural nature and high aesthetic standards. The performances are presented in open-air amphitheatres such as the Ancient Odeon in Paphos, the Curium Ancient Theatre in Limassol and the Makarios III or ‘Skali’ Amphitheatres in Nicosia.
On the European front, the theatre companies that participate in the festival’s programme come from countries such as Greece, the UK, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Sweden and Cyprus. Additionally, there has sometimes been participation from the US, Russia, Korea, China and Israel.
