It is time for ancient Greek theatre to tour some of Cyprus’ most stunning open-air venues. Returning for the 28th edition, the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama begins on July 9, with the Italian production The Bacchae by Euripides opening the 2025 festival.

Directed by Daniele Salvo, one of the most authoritative Italian directors in the reinterpretation of Greek tragedies who returns to the Cypriot festival, and produced by Dide Cultural Association – Amenanos Festival, the performance features a select cast of Italian actors.

Two performances will be presented next month; one on July 9 at the Makarios III Amphitheatre in Nicosia marking the official opening of the festival and then at the Curium Ancient Theatre on July 12.

In The Bacchae, Euripides recounts the descent of Dionysus to the city of Thebes to impose the rites of his worship. King Pentheus refuses to recognise this new god and suffers Dionysus’ wrath.

Driven mad by the god’s power, Pentheus dies a horrible death on the peaks of Mount Cithaeron, with his mother, Agave, having committed, while in a delirium, the terrible crime.

Dionysus establishes his religion by announcing the terrible fate of the royal family.

The Bacchae can be summed up as a ritual of feelings, emotions, rage and unreason. It is the only extant tragedy featuring the god Dionysus as a character, mercilessly punishing all those resisting the force of nature and the transformative experience of divine intoxication.

The performance has a directorial perspective that delves into the savage world of Euripides, favouring a linear aesthetic that focuses on the text and the actor’s interpretation through a powerful exploration of ritual, instinct, and the fragile boundary between reason and chaos.

The Italian production, in an immersive atmosphere, invites the audience to contemplate the emptiness of the modern world, listen to the echoes of lost gods and seek catharsis.

Three more productions from Cyprus and Greece will continue until August when the festival concludes. Until then, ancient Greek drama will be performed at the Nicosia and Limassol venues as well as at Paphos’ Ancient Odeon presenting works by Sophocles and Euripides.

The Bacchae by Euripides

Italian production officially opens the 28th International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama. July 9. Makarios III Amphitheatre, Nicosia. July 12. Curium Ancient Theatre, Limassol. With Greek and English surtitles. Suitable for ages 16+. 9pm. €15 www.soldoutticketbox.com