Cyprus has hosted an annual festival dedicated to ancient Greek drama for more than a decade with Paphos at its centre.

Now in its 13th year, the ethos of the International Festival of Greek Drama shows how ancient theatre is interpreted by modern companies from all over the world.

To this end, productions from Greece, Russia, the UK, the continent and from as far away as Korea have graced the stage with their versions of classic plays that first entertained audiences thousands of years ago.

The festival has gone from strength to strength, expanding from Paphos to include performances at Curium and Nicosia. Answering a need for translation, many of the productions now also have subtitles in Greek and English displayed so that audiences can appreciate the story and how it is playing out on the stage, more directly.

This year, the month of July will see nine companies from around Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean presenting well-known favourites such as ‘Medea’ and ‘Antigone’ alongside lesser-known but equally riveting productions like ‘Thebaid’ and ‘Alcestis’.

The performances take place at the outdoor amphitheatres of the Paphos Odeon and the stunning Curium theatre near Limassol. In Nicosia productions take place at Makarios III Amphitheatre.

The festival is presented by the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute which was founded 32 years ago. The Centre’s contribution to the Cypriot theatre community is considerable. Through visits of international playwrights, directors and scenographers, the Cypriot theatre community had the opportunity to become acquainted with the global theatrical trends and to bring these developments to local audiences.