Sharing joy through acting

With a range of roles on TV, in film and theatre under her belt, PAUL LAMBIS speaks to a familiar face

If Lucy Christofi had to define her childhood in one word, it would be rebel. Not because she was a wild individual who broke every norm in the Greek Cypriot playbook, but because she had the fortitude to convince her parents and grandparents that she was born to act – a career path that was not regarded suitable for a young Greek Cypriot girl at the time from a close-knit diasporic community.

“I knew it would be difficult, but I never gave up,” she said. “My cultural upbringing has clearly shaped me, and it even plays an inadvertent role in the characters I choose to play.”

Lucy’s portfolio now includes everything from theatre and film, writing and directing, to voice-over work. Born in London in the 1960s to Greek Cypriot parents, Lucy felt a deep connection to her ancestral birthplace despite being the first person in her family to be born outside Cyprus. “My parents are from the occupied part of the island, and even though my mother has passed away, we still make it a point to visit as often as possible, because I want my daughter to feel the same connection that I do.”

From a very young age, Lucy loved performing in front of family and friends, and would always offer to read aloud at school. “My teachers recognised that I enjoyed acting and encouraged me to take part in school plays, then later to join drama groups, and finally to apply to drama school.”

Attending an all-girls secondary school in Peckham, “a loud, tough and vibrant area,” helped shape the person she is today. “We had our own small theatre, and being in a school where there are only girls meant that all the male roles had to be played by us.

“I attended Kingsway Princeton College because it was the only place that offered A-levels in drama and theatre studies and was preferred by young performers who were already working on television,” she told the Cyprus Mail.

Her enthusiasm for theatre prompted her to audition for Rose Bruford College, an independent creative arts college that allowed her to focus on speech and drama as well as study acting as a craft in greater depth, culminating in her degree.

But her big break came in her final year of drama school, when a professional theatre group came to the college and cast her in the lead role of Anne Frank. “We devised the play and toured all over the United Kingdom,” she recalled. “It was an incredible experience that I will never forget.”

As a character actor, Lucy enjoys playing parts that are very different to her. “I enjoy losing myself in the role so much that people don’t recognise me,” she said.

“Although make-up and costumes are often employed to conceal identities on stage, it is more natural on screen, unless it is science fiction and prosthetics are used. However, on stage, it is acceptable to perform parts of any gender and age, and I appreciate those challenges.”

Lucy’s three-decade career has resulted in a number of theatre, television and film credits in The Road to Ithaca, Akamas, An Unsuitable Boy, Fish n’ Chips, Smoking Guns, Broken and The Bill.

However, Lucy lives for the unpredictability of theatre performances, as well as the thrill of coming out on stage and not knowing exactly how things will unfold. “In theatre, your performance can never be exactly the same every show; there will always be something that makes it different, whether it is a note from a director or a fellow cast member doing something new or a line getting changed or even audience members doing something that alters the way you perform, and it is that uncertainty that I really enjoy”.

Lucy has performed for audiences in both the UK and Cyprus. Although there are “far too many important moments” in her professional or personal life to mention, she considers her large Greek Cypriot family to be her greatest blessing. “They are all incredibly supportive of me and my work, and I always have a great crowd at any event I am part of, whether it is a film or a play.”

However, it has not always been smooth sailing. “I had major heart surgery a few years ago, and there were serious complications, but I am grateful to have survived and to have had their steadfast support. The whole thing was an enormous wake-up call for me. Nothing is more important than health,” she said.

When it comes to the UK acting scene, Lucy points out the difficulties that actors of Cypriot origin face despite being born in the country and speaking fluent English. “There are few people who work full-time as performers and can choose the roles they desire. The majority of us have recognised that we must generate our own work rather than wait to be discovered.

“As for Cyprus, I won’t say it’s easier to get acting work here because there’s also a great deal of competition. However, there is incredible work being done on the island, with so many new theatre groups and film companies that are really pushing the frontiers, which I find extremely exciting.”

Lucy is currently finishing up a short film with award-winning filmmaker Antony Petrou, which will be screened at festivals around the world and is working on a theatre project about a mysterious Cypriot poet with fellow actress Elena Pavli, which they hope to bring to Cyprus in the near future.

Reflecting on her passion and persistence as a young teen when she was aspiring to be an actress, Lucy maintains that her drive for acting remains the same, albeit with a new level of maturity and experiences that have redefined who she is as a performer. “I also wanted to be a policewoman when I was younger, but I quickly recognised I wasn’t cut out for it, so I decided to stick to acting and try to share some joy that way.”