The Department of Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus and the Cyprus Center of the International Theater Institute (CCIT), in collaboration with the National Theater of Greece and with the support of the House of Cyprus in Athens, are organizing the “Cypriot Theater Week,” which will be hosted at the Dipylon Theater (Lower Hall) from September 16 to 20, 2026.
Three Cypriot productions, which enjoyed great success during their runs in Cyprus during the 2025–2026 theater season, were selected by a three-member Selection Committee to be presented as part of the event at the Dipylon Theater.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The series of performances for this year’s fourth edition of “Cyprus Theater Week” opens with Angelika Nikli Solomou’s production, *The Transparent One* by Periklis Moscholidakis, directed by Marina Vronti and produced by the Lexis Theater. In a new stage adaptation, which transforms the original monologue into a polyphonic, poetic ensemble, Christina Pavlidou, Nektarios Theodorou, Giota Maragkou, Maria Tsiakka, and musician Andreas Theocharous engage in dialogue on stage, building a cohesive theatrical whole through which the characters artfully emerge and a unique narrative atmosphere takes shape. The production by Theatro Lexi, which received a warm reception from the audience and garnered positive reviews, will be presented on September 16, 2026.
This will be followed on September 18 by Michalis Papadopoulos’s timely play *Which Europe?* directed by Neoklis Neokleous and produced by the Antilogos Theater and the “Solo for Three” theater troupe. Through contemporary theatrical writing, the play grapples with the impasses faced by today’s European citizens and questions what has become of the fundamental values of freedom, equality, democracy, and humanity, bringing to the forefront issues such as racism, intolerance, and the acceptance of difference. With direct and incisive language, the play seeks to spark a meaningful dialogue about the challenges of contemporary European reality and humanity’s place within it. The cast includes Haris Kkolos, Melani Steliou, Fotis Fotiou, and Christina Christofia.
This year’s festival concludes on September 20 with a production by the Limassol Theater Development Company (ETHAL), in collaboration with Point To Contemporary Theater, *The Island* by Achilleas Grammatikopoulos and Michalis Kolokotronis, directed by Achilleas Grammatikopoulos. The production launched ETHAL’s thematic focus for the 2025–2026 theater season, centered on language, communities, communication, dialogue, multiculturalism, and the collective memory of the region. It is an original play, a blend of research and fiction, based on real events and documented narratives, which focuses on the collective trauma of contemporary Cypriot society, shedding light on the two sides of a divided identity and highlighting the violence people suffered because of their faith or origin. Giorgos Evagorou and Izel Seylani appear on stage.
“Cypriot Theater Week,” co-organized by the Department of Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus and the Cyprus Center of the International Theater Institute, and is hosted for the fourth consecutive year by the National Theater, aims to promote contemporary Cypriot theatrical productions in Greece, to enhance the international reach of Cypriot theater productions, and to foster a fruitful artistic dialogue.
ANGELIKA NIKLI SOLOMOU, *The Transparent* by Periklis Moscholidakis
Directed by: Marina Vronti
Production: Lexei Theater
Wednesday, September 16
“WHICH EUROPE?” by Michalis Papadopoulos
Directed by: Neoklis Neokleous
Production: Antilogos Theater and the “Solo for Three” theater troupe
Friday, September 18
THE ISLAND by Achilleas Grammatikopoulos and Michalis Kolokotronis
Directed by: Achilleas Grammatikopoulos
Production: Limassol Theater Development Company, in collaboration with Point To Contemporary Theater
Sunday, September 20
Performances begin at 9:00 p.m.
INFORMATION
Ticket prices:
€15 general admission
10 € discounted (students, unemployed, seniors over 65, people with disabilities)
Advance ticket sales:
TICKET SERVICES – by phone: 210 72 34 567 – online: www.ticketservices.gr
National Theater Box Office: Schiller Building
Performance information: tel. 210 52 88 170-171 and www.n-t.gr
This year’s productions:
● AGGELIKA NIKLI SOLOMOU, “The Transparent” by Periklis Moscholidakis
Directed by: Marina Vronti
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Lexi Theater presents the play *Angelika Nikli Solomou*, *The Transparent* by Periklis Moscholidakis, directed by Marina Vronti, in a new stage adaptation that transforms the original monologue into a poetic ensemble.
At the heart of the production is the figure of Angeliki Nikli, mother of Dionysios Solomos, as she attempts to bring out of the shadows a female presence that has remained on the margins of history. Through four perspectives—the woman she once was, the young Angeliki, the voices of society, and the male figures who shaped her life—a story of love, social crisis, and memory.
These four personas piece together the fragments of a life on stage, creating a polyphonic narrative in which personal history becomes collective memory. At the same time, the stage composition functions as a mosaic of memory and identity, through which the individual narratives coalesce into a unified dramatic experience.
*Transparent* sheds light on the woman behind the myth and seeks her voice through time, highlighting the unseen aspects of an era and a life shaped by social constraints and personal choices.
Periklis Moscholidakis’s play was presented to Cypriot audiences for the first time during the 2025–2026 theater season, receiving a warm reception from critics and audiences alike.
Running time: 85 minutes
The performance is suitable for audiences aged 12 and older
Cast and Crew
Director: Marina Vronti
Set Design and Costumes: Giorgos Giannou
Lighting Design: Vasilis Petinaris
Orchestration / Music Composition: Andreas Theocharous
Sound and Lighting Technician: Alexander David Ball
Production Coordinator: Georgia Daveta
Photography: Dimitris Loutsios
Production: Lexei Theater
Cast: Christina Pavlidou, Nektarios Theodorou, Panagiota Maragkou, Maria Tsiakka, Andreas Theocharous
● WHICH EUROPE? by Michalis Papadopoulos
Directed by: Neoklis Neokleous
Friday, September 18, 2026
The Antilogos Theater, in co-production with the theater group “Solo for Three,” presents Michalis Papadopoulos’s play *Which Europe?*, a contemporary work that explores the major impasses facing today’s European citizens.
Two sisters, Rosa and Eleni, both women in their fifties, are on their way to see their doctor in Ano Patisia. In the same train car are Andreas, a man of about the same age, and Amzat, a Palestinian on his way to Victoria Square to take part in a demonstration.
An unexpected malfunction brings the train to a standstill between the two stations. The confinement, the uncertainty, and the suspicion of a possible terrorist attack push the passengers to their limits. The time they spend together becomes an opportunity to unpack their personal stories, confront their prejudices and fears, and reevaluate what they had previously taken for granted.
Through the story of the four passengers, *Which Europe?* sheds light on the resurgence of racism and fascism, the unemployment that undermines dignity, the inner conflict of a person who is unable or unwilling to reconcile their beliefs with their moral stance, as well as the disappointment, silence, and resignation.
At a time when acts of violence against those who are different are on the rise, the play reminds us of our collective and individual responsibility toward what is happening around us. Its characters are not strangers; they are everyday people, familiar faces, friends, and neighbors. They express thoughts and words we have all heard but rarely truly reflected upon, inviting the audience to confront their own attitudes toward the world and their fellow human beings.
Duration: 70 minutes
The performance is suitable for audiences 12 years and older
Cast and Crew
Director: Neoklis Neokleous
Set Design and Costumes: Mariza Partzili
Lighting Design: Vasilis Petinaris
Music Composition: Savvas Chrysostomou
Assistant Director: Chara Lambrianidou
Lighting Operators: Raphael Adamou, Konstantinos Siambtanis
Photography: Christos Avraamidis
Production: Antilogos Theater & “Solo for Three” theater troupe
Cast: Haris Kkolos, Melani Steliou, Fotis Fotiou, Christina Christofia
● THE ISLAND by Achilleas Grammatikopoulos and Michalis Kolokotronis
Directed by: Achilleas Grammatikopoulos
Sunday, September 20, 2026
The Limassol Theater Development Company (ETHAL), in collaboration with Point To Contemporary Theater, presents the original play *The Island* by Achilleas Grammatikopoulos and Michalis Kolokotronis, directed by Achilleas Grammatikopoulos. This play combines historical research with fiction, based on real events and documented testimonies, shedding light on the collective trauma of contemporary Cypriot society and focusing on issues of memory, identity, coexistence, and reconciliation.
Andreas and Ibrahim lead two completely different lives and hold different beliefs, identities, and life experiences. One is a Greek Cypriot farmer and Christian; the other is a Turkish Cypriot teacher and Muslim.
In colonial Cyprus during the period 1955–1959, the two men find themselves imprisoned in the same cell. Andreas was accused of participating in the EOKA armed struggle, while Ibrahim was accused of assaulting a police officer during a pro-partition demonstration. The colonial authorities confined them to the same space, hoping either to extract confessions or to drive them to kill each other.
However, their forced coexistence gradually transforms their relationship. Through the violence of interrogation, the silence of isolation, and the shared human experience of confinement, the two men are confronted with the certainties, prejudices, and wounds they carry.
Without seeking to deliver a history lesson, the play creates a space for theatrical dialogue around memory, identity, and the acceptance of the Other, posing a timeless question: Whose justice ultimately prevails?
Running time: 90 minutes
The performance is suitable for audiences 15 years and older
Cast and Crew
Playwrights: Michalis Kolokotronis, Gianna Georgiadou, Achilleas Grammatikopoulos
Director: Achilleas Grammatikopoulos
Set Design and Costumes: Giorgos Giannou
Lighting Design: Vasilis Petinaris
Music Composition / Sound Design: Christina Georgiou
Stage Combat and Action Choreography: Anthi Kasinou
Assistant Director: Michalis Kolokotronis
Photography: Giorgos Giannou
Production: Limassol Theater Development Company, in collaboration with Point To Contemporary Theater
On Stage: Giorgos Evagorou, Izel Seylani
