Nicosia performances pay tribute to playwright great

Four back-to-back theatrical performances this May as part of the Nicosia International Festival, celebrate the playwright Costas Mannouris. Plays on May 28, 29 and 30 will take place at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre in front of a Greek-speaking audience.

First up is a double-show evening on May 28. At 7pm, the festival will present the piece that established Mannouris and won him the Playwriting Award at the Cyprus Theatre Awards 2015. Directing Apopse Tha Petaxo Tin Tefra Sou is the playwright himself with Valentina Sofokleous in the central role. Then at 9pm, one more awarded theatrical piece by Mannouris will be presented. Tis Oikias Imon Epiprameni is directed by actress Despoina Mbembedeli, starring Maria Andreou, Nafsika Apostratou and Maria Afxentiou.

The dedication events will continue on May 29 with the play Sminos which was presented at the Nicosia International Festival Summer Edition in 2020 as part of The 24 Hour Plays Cyprus. Six writers were invited to write six new 10-minute theatrical pieces on the lockdowns and the pandemic. The writing and rehearsing all took place within 24 hours and the performances were the first to be presented to a physical audience amid the pandemic. Mannouris developed the original text into a more complete theatre piece which returns to the stage where it was born.

Finally, on May 30, Costas Silvestros will present a play on the life of a fictional actress Serafina Pasatempo, written by Mannouris. Serafina was born a man but went through life and the theatrical art as a woman, each time playing secondary and third roles, allowing her colleagues to take the spotlight. Pasatempo makes Serafina the protagonist, putting on a performance that happens in alignment with Cyprus Pride 2023 and ACCEPT LGBTI Cyprus.

Theatrical Performances Pay Tribute to Playwright Costas Mannouris

Apopse Tha Petaxo Tin Tefra Sou. May 28. 7pm. Tis Oikias Imon Epiprameni. 9pm. Sminos. May 29. 8.30pm. Pasatempo. May 30. 8.30pm. In Greek. www.soldoutticketbox.com.cy