Sophocles’ Antigone raises curtain on International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama

Theatre and culture enthusiasts can enjoy a month full of inspiring theatrical moments. Four high-calibre productions take part in this year’s International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama showing contemporary aesthetic and artistic approaches to well-known tragedies and drama.

Opening the 2023 edition on July 10 is a production by award-winning Cypriot director Kostas Silvestros who returns to the festival to present in a poetic mood a timely production of the Sophoclean tragedy Antigone.

Its premiere will take place at Makarios III Amphitheatre in Nicosia next week while later in the month, Antigone will be presented in front of audiences in Paphos, at the Ancient Odeon on July 18, and in Limassol at the Curium Ancient Theatre on July 21.

With a select group of artists of the contemporary Cypriot scene by the director’s side, Silvestros stages a performance of particular power, inspiration and aesthetics that redefines ancient drama in today’s world, aiming to act as a ‘prayer’ among the ruins of the modern world.

Antigone, perhaps the most popular tragedy by Sophocles and one of the finest works of ancient Greek drama, takes place in Thebes after the civil strife that led to the death of the two rival brothers Eteocles and Polyneices. King Creon orders Eteocles buried with honours, leaving Polyneices unburied as an enemy of Thebes. But the sister of the two, Antigone, does not obey the order and decides to honour Polyneices with a proper burial. She is arrested and brought to Creon, who, following the laws of the state, sentences her to death.

Led by the excellent translation of Nikos A Panayiotopoulos, the team experiments with new kinesiology forms and original sounds to take audiences on a journey in the play’s dark universe in search of a fresh take on Sophocles’ timeless text.

As the summer continues, three more outstanding productions will be part of this year’s eclectic Ancient Greek Drama agenda. The National Theatre of Northern Greece will present the Euripidean tragedy The Trojan Women, the Hungarian National Theatre will feature a production of The Bacchae by Euripides while the National Theatre of Greece presents yet another play by Euripides, Hippolytus.

Antigone

Greek tragedy by Sophocles directed by Kostas Silverstros. Part of the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama. July 10. Makarios III Amphitheatre, Nicosia. July 18. Ancient Odeon, Paphos. July 21. Curium Ancient Theatre, Limassol. 9pm. With surtitles in English. www.greekdramafest.com