Sun, 03 Sep. 2023 - Mon, 04 Sep. 2023
6 playwrights, 6 directors and 18 actors/actresses write and present 6 new theatrical plays about Nicosia within 24 hours
The inaugural performances of the Nicosia Municipal Theatre’s new season are dedicated to Nicosia. On September 3rd and 4th, in anticipation of the 4th edition of the Nicosia International Festival, the festival brings to Cyprus for the second time “The 24 Hour Plays: Cyprus”, as part of the festival's Parallel Program. The idea is to stage six brand-new theatrical plays that will be written, produced and staged within the span of 24 hours. The festival has encouraged six playwrights, six directors, and a total of 18 actors, to draw inspiration from the rich history of Nicosia, its inhabitants, and its neighborhoods.
The Nicosia International Festival is an integral part of Nicosia’s bid for the competition for the title of Cultural Capital of Europe 2030. The production "The 24 Hour Plays: Cyprus" forms part of this effort and is brought to life with the support of the Leventis Municipal Museum .
A night at the museum
The 24-hour creative journey starts on the evening of September 2nd at the Leventis Municipal Museum where the creative team - six playwrights, six directors, and 18 actors - will have a brief meet-and-greet following which a draw will determine the six creative teams that shall write, produce and stage the six new plays dedicated to Nicosia. Surrounded by the museum's rich historical collection, the six playwrights are invited to stay overnight at the museum to write and deliver their 15-minute plays with a deadline, the morning of the following day. The plays will then be dispatched to the directors and the actors to begin their intensive marathon. By the end of the 24 hour span, at 20:30 on September 3rd, the six new plays shall have their premier at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre.
Authors: Anthie Zachariadou, Costas Mannouris, Andreas Nicolaides, Eleni Xenou, Michalis Papadopoulos, Evridiki Pericleous Papadopoulou.
Directors: Christodoulos Andreou, Paris Erotokritou, Marios Kakoulli, Maria Iole Karolidou, Panayiotis Tofi, Anna Fotiadou.
Actors: George Anagiotos, Elias Andreou, Maria Andreou, Athos Antoniou, Penelope Vassiliou, Sophia Kalli, Stelios Kallistratis, Antreas Koutsoftas, Panagiotis Larkou, Andriani Neokleous, Onisiforos Onisiforou, Andreas Papamichalopoulos, Christina Pavlidou, Polyxenie Savva, Marianna Santi, Eleni Sidera, Penny Finiri, Vasilis Charalambous.
Light designer: Christos Charalambous
Set designer: Monica Hatzivasileiou
Sound designer: Antonis Antoniou
Sound technician: Nikolas Prokopiou
Production officer: Anthony Papamichael
Artistic Direction: George G. Papageorgiou
About "The 24 Hour Plays: Cyprus":
"The 24 Hour Plays" was initiated on Broadway, New York in 1995. 15 years since its inception, the artistic director of Nicosia International Festival George G. Papageorgiou launched «Τhe 24 Ηour Plays: Cyprus» as an integral part of the Nicosia International Festival - Summer Edition 2020. During the first summer marked by the coronavirus pandemic, six playwrights, six directors, and eighteen actors/actresses collaborated with the festival’s production and technical teams to stage six brand new plays that conveyed the emotional and psychological impact of the pandemic. The plays have now acquired historical significance. They stand as a testament to the resilience of the arts during an unprecedented era. Remarkably, these performances presentations marked the first live performances in an indoor venue in the greater rea of Cyprus.
Three years later, the Nicosia Municipal Theatre hosted the national premiere of “Sminos” by Costa Mannouris and directed by Petros Charalambous. Mannouris created the first draft of “Sminos” within the framework of “The 24 Hour Plays: Cyprus” back in 2020. Since then, Mannouris expanded upon the original text, and transformed it into a full-fledged play presented by the theater group “ROI”. The Nicosia International Festival invited the production over at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre, where it was first conceived, produced and staged.
Tickets: €10 - €16 from soldoutticketbox.com , the Stephanis Electronic Shops and the Nicosia Municipal Theatre (Monday - Friday 10:00 - 13:00).
Information: +357 22 797 979