January 2025
8 Wed 20:30 (107’)
The Room Next Door – Pedro Almodóvar (ESP, 2024) 15+
Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film The Room Next Door is based on Sigrid Nunez’s novel What are you going through, starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. Ingrid and Martha were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme yet strangely sweet situation.
Producer: Agustin Almodovar
Executive Producer: Esther Garcia
Music by: Alberto Iglesias
Director of photography: Eduard Grau
Editor: Teresa Font
Production Design: Inbal Weinberg
Cast: Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Alessandro Nivola, Alex Hogh Andersen, Anh Duong, Sarah Demeestere, Esther McGregor, Juan Diego Botto, Raul Arevalo, Victoria Luengo, Melina Matthews.
11 Sat 20:00 (90’)
Richard II - William Shakespeare
Theatro Dentro and YPOGAIA Cultural Organisation present William Shakespeare's masterpiece Richard II, a play delving into the boundaries of power and the tragic fall of a king, while illuminating the eternal struggle of man with power and himself; a breathtaking journey from ignorance to awareness.
Directed by Leandros Taliotis, the play follows the path of Richard II, a young monarch who discovers his true identity through his downfall—a noble yet weak character whose detachment from reality leads him to destruction.
The performance highlights Shakespeare's masterful art in depicting the gradual awakening of the king as betrayal and abandonment surround him. Through an emotional journey of self-awareness, the fallen king discovers his true royal essence just as he loses his crown.
The plot is set within the historical backdrop of the events that sparked the Wars of the Roses, providing a profound exploration of the nature of power, identity, and human consciousness.
The theatrical adaptation of Richard II’s story is not just another historical narrative; it serves as a mirror reflecting our modern society, where power continues to intoxicate, corrupt, and ultimately destroy. In Greek
Written by: William Shakespeare
Direction/Translation/Video Art: Leandros Taliotis
Set & Costume Design: Lakis Genethlis
Music Composition: Andreas Moustoukis
Movement: Stavroula Kalfa
Lighting Design: Christos Gogakis
Visual Communication Design | Poster - Trailer - Photography: Kriton Douris
Cast: Stavros Louras, Vasiliki Kypraiou, Alexandros Parisis, Panayiotis Larkou, Katerina Loura, Leandros Taliotis
On-stage Musicians: Andreas Moustoukis, Marios Solomou, Dimitris Polyviou, Angelos Koutsoumpias
Tickets: €15 / €13 (for pensioners, actors, students, pupils, soldiers, large families, members of the Open University of Cyprus) ↘Please present valid identification at the box office.
12 Sun 16:00 (70’)
STILL! - A statue that travelled the world (3+)
The production loved by young and old returns for another performance at the Rialto Theatre in Limassol!
A girl on a boat begins her journey into the unknown, trying to escape the horrors of war. She finds refuge in an unknown country and lies down to rest under the statue of a soldier. To her great surprise, the statue comes to life! Can a statue and a girl become friends and travel the world together? Can the girl teach the statue what life really is about and convince it to let go of the sword it holds? Written in an imaginary, universal language and with music as its main vehicle, the play is an ode to peace, friendship, diversity and the power of true love.
The play premiered in November 2021 at the Nicosia International Festival and has since toured to Armenia, Tunisia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Greece, Uzbekistan and Hungary. In the summer of 2023, it won the Best International Performance Award at the online section of the International Children's Theatre Festival, organised by the National Children's Theatre of China.
Story, lyrics, production: Stavros Stavrou
Music composition: Thodoris Economou
Direction & choreography: Kostas Silvestros and Panayiotis Tofi
Set and costume design: Constantina Andreou
Lighting design: Vasilis Petinaris
Video art: Anna Fotiadou
Makeup: Giorgos Vavanos
Vocal coaching: Constantinos Andronikou
Performers: Andreas Koutsoftas, Christina Papadopoulou and Antony Papamichael
Musician on stage: Andreas Michalopoulos
15 Wed 20:30 (105’)
The Word Progress on my Mother’s Lips Doesn't Ring True
Matei Vișniec I Thoc Central Stage (15+)
A family that has been torn apart tries to heal its wounds. The Mother and Father – both fugitives from war atrocities, both refugees – return to their burnt, ravaged home. All they want is to find what is left of their dead son. He re-enters their lives as a ghostly presence, a witness to events on the battlefields of History, while their daughter struggles to survive in the trenches that line the pavements of a faltering Europe. Surrounding them is a familiar mosaic of dangerous yet absurd individuals who challenge the norms and values of society. A world slowly suffocating under the burden of national and social divisions, fragmented by the collapse of values, economic exploitation and inhumanity, but also containing redemption, precariously balanced between ruin and renewal.
Matei Vișniec, Romania's best-known and most widely performed contemporary dramatist, has crafted a painfully topical tale about loss and mourning, rootlessness, the refugee experience, and the longing for home. The struggle for survival and a better life is conveyed through moments of high drama infused with touches of humour.
Acclaimed director Varnavas Kyriazis brings the penetrating and stripped-down language of the Romanian French writer to THOC’s stage for the first time, exploring the interplay between the living and the dead, poetry and prose, realism and surrealism, to remind us of the importance of our ongoing negotiation with the site of memory. He is assisted by Michalis Christodoulidis’ superb musical themes and first-class cast and crew. With English and Turkish surtitles.
16 Thu 20:30 (110’) Attempts on her life by Martin Crimp
À Vendre (16+) On Stage
"No one will have directly experienced the actual cause of such happenings but everyone will have received an image of them." Jean Baudrillard
The theatre group À Vendre presents the play "Attempts on her life" by the British writer Martin Crimp, which 28 years after its first production is still very relevant.
How can we know who the other really is? 17 scenes, 17 attempts to describe, 17 attempts to understand, 17 stories that show us the process of constructing an identity for public consumption. A woman with different identities is the only link to all the stories. Anna is a victim of civil war, she is a superstar, she is a tourist guide, she is a visual artist, she is an international terrorist. Fragments of a woman who can be anything or nothing.
Each story illustrates the problems of contemporary society through the eyes of an absent woman who simultaneously functions as a vehicle that transports you to a world of made-up narratives.
CREDITS:
Writer: Martin Crimp
Director: Maria Varnakkidou
Translator and Dramaturgy: Kyros Papavassiliou
Set Designer: Elena Kotasvili, Rebecca Taki
Costume designer: Constantina Andreou
Lighting Designer: Vasilis Petinaris
Assistant Director: Maria Constantinou
Movement Director: Arianna Marcoulidou
Sound Design: Panos Bartzis
Performers: Penny Foiniri, Arianna Marcoulidou, Polixeni Savva, Giorgos Kyriacou and Antony Papamichael
*The performance is in Greek but there will be English surtitles.
17 Fri 18:00 (60’)
The Sound of Music | Family Concerts 3
Cyprus Symphony Orchestra
A performance for all, based on The Sound of Music. The musical film that won over the world tells the story of the von Trapp family and Maria, who transformed the lives of Captain von Trapp and his seven children with her kind nature, joyful spirit and singing.
The wonderful singer Aliki Chrysochou will both narrate the story and perform Richard Rodgers’ famous songs, including I have confidence, My favourite things, Do-Re-Mi and many more, immortalised by Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music. Images from the film will be projected during the performance. The Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of its Honorary Conductor, Alkis Baltas, will accompany the singer with an exceptional orchestration by pianist Vicky Stylianou.
Richard Rodgers: The Sound of Music
Orchestration and text: Vicky Stylianou
Singer & narrator: Aliki Chrysochou
Conductor: Alkis Baltas
Nicosia: Saturday 18 January 2025 - Pallas Theatre, Pafos Gate, 16:00 & 17:30
18 Sat 20:30 (120’)
Tania Tsanaklidou
Tania Tsanaklidou, the Greek singer whose voice and emotional depth have left a lasting mark on some of the most beloved songs of the modern Greek repertoire, will be performing at the Rialto Theatre.
In this programme that will evoke memories of her most memorable performances, audiences will yet again be swept into Tania’s musical universe, enchanted by her captivating voice and stage presence. Tania and her companions, Kostas, Vasilis, Nikos and Spyros will come together in this concert performance like a group of good friends, sharing their stories through song. Everything takes place on stage. Exchanging glances and shared feelings make the unexpected feel familiar; everyone is in search of redemption through a song. The band will be serving Batida de Coco, Tania will be dancing Samba and, together, they will perform some of the most beloved songs of her repertoire, such as Soultana Fofo, Moires, Anthropakos, Pame Kapou, taking the audience far away from reality. Her loyal fans will be devotedly following Tania, as she has no equal: her youthful, passionate, and theatrical spirit is capable of energising the audience, evoking a sense of euphoria, and touching hearts all at once.
A one-of-a-kind concert with songs and emotions worth sharing!
Musicians: Kostas Nikolopoulos, Vasilis Panayiotopoulos, Nikos Papaioannou,
Spyros Manesis
Sound: Panayiotis Petronikolos, Manolis Zannidis
Lights: Periklis Mathiellis
Artwork: Petros Paraschis
Poster photo: Elina Yiounanli
Production: CELESTIAL ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTIONS
21 Tue 18:30 & 20:30 (65’)
Personne Ι FlashArt Ι On Stage (15+)
Liminal Theatre Company presents Personne based on Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima. In this early novel, Mishima takes us on an intimate journey of self-discovery triggered by his sexual awakening, against the backdrop of the final days of a losing war. He discovers his forbidden desire for men and a dark fascination with death and violence: an inner world he conceals under a self-conscious public mask. Following the paths of Mishima’s story, Personne is a quest for authenticity through narration and play. Etymologically, the word ‘personne’ refers to the actor’s mask. It means an ‘individual of the human species, without distinction of sex’; an individual, defined by his awareness of existing as a biological, moral and social being’*. In French, ‘personne’ also means ‘no one’. *Theodore Jouffroy, Mélanges Philosophiques, 1833.
With English subtitles at 20:30
Created by: Nectarios Theodorou and George Siena
Direction/Text: George Siena
Video art/Set design: Anna Fotiadou
Composer: Byron Katritsis
Costume: Marina Nikolaidou
Lighting design: Giorgos Evagorou
Performed by: Nectarios Theodorou
Co-produced by: Centre of Performing Arts MITOS
Special thanks for their support to Nick Hadjipavlou (Eventechpro), Elena Agathokleous, Constantina Peter, Marios Pavlou, Charalambos Patsalides and Kalaqs.
24 & 25 Fri & Sat 20:30 (40’)
Never Just I – Evie Demetriou
On Stage (14+)
What is a woman’s place in a world that never stops changing? NEVER JUST I is the bold new solo performance by Evie Demetriou, bringing to the stage a deeply personal narrative through movement, spoken word, and emotion. Focusing on the roles of motherhood and daughterhood, the performance unravels the unseen layers of female experience—woven with sensitivity, humor, and courage.
A choreographic reflection on motherhood as a social practice and an act of coexistence, this performance blends confession and imagination. It dares to dream of new ways of being and connecting, inviting audiences to envision a world where the collective “we” triumphs over the solitary “I” and where dreams become catalysts for change.
About the Choreographer: Evie Demetriou is a choreographer and performer based in Cyprus. Her multidisciplinary approach—merging dance, theater, performance art, and film—reflects themes of social justice and the politics of care. Her work has been extensively showcased across Europe, as well as in Asia, Africa, and the USA.
Credits
• Choreography/Performance: Evie Demetriou
• Dramaturgy: Georgina Kakoudaki
• Advisor: Tabea Martin
• Lighting Design: Aleksandar Jotovik
• Artistic Collaborator/Photography: Mihalis Papamichael
• Vocal Coach: Cathryn Robson
• Styling: Kristia Michaelidou
• Graphic Design: Despina Kannaourou
• Promotion: Olivia Christou
• International Distribution: peso producciones
• Production: En Drasi
31 Fri 20:30 (90’)
Pianist Yiannis Georgiou in Recital
The acclaimed virtuoso returns to the Rialto Theatre with an enchanting programme of masterpieces. Pianist Yiannis Georgiou is set to offer a night of extraordinary music featuring major works by Schumann, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff. Known for his captivating performances, Georgiou invites audiences on a journey through some of the most profound and stirring pieces of the classical repertoire. The recital will open with Schumann’s Kreisleriana, Op. 16, a masterful collection of character pieces inspired by the fictional musician Johannes Kreisler, blending passion and whimsy. The second half of the evening will feature Brahms’ late piano works, Op. 119, and selections of Rachmaninoff’s Preludes and Etudes-Tableaux, works that showcase the depth and virtuosity of the composer’s genius. An evening not to be missed—a rare opportunity to experience the timeless beauty of classical music brought to life by one of today’s foremost pianists in Cyprus.
February 2025
1 Sat 20:30 (120’)
Fotini Velesiotou & Panagiotis Margaris
The classical guitar meets folk poetry: a one-of-a-kind synergy between two exceptional artists, taking audiences on a journey through time, to years and moments that have indelibly marked Greek music and our lives. The virtuoso classical guitarist and composer Panagiotis Margaris, alongside the innately talented singer Fotini Velesiotou, present a repertoire of timeless classics composed by Moutsis, Virvos, Kaldaras, Gatsos, Xarchakos, Rasoulis, and more.
An artistic proposal of unique significance, modest on stage, yet rich and imaginative in content. The songs we hold dear and continue to sing and celebrate are brought to life by a single guitar, played by an exceptionally talented guitarist, accompanied by an equally gifted voice. This performance delves into the history of the Greek song, transforming entertainment into a truly meaningful experience.
2 Sun 12:30 (75’)
Oloi oi kakoi xorane - Eikona Zois (3+)
Suprise!!! Eikona Zois returns and presents once again the beloved fairytale Musical, "Όλοι οι...κακοί χωράνε!" directed by Christina Pavlidou.
During the festive season, we all enjoy watching theatrical performances filled with CHRISTMAS LIGHTS! This performance will be dressed in a festive mood!
The experienced artistic team and our beloved actors will take us on a magical journey, offering a new perspective on our favorite fairy tales. Come and meet Kalomoira, a teenage girl who, while exploring her grandfather’s grand library, stumbles upon her own “villainous” troubles. Through the pages of her book, we will not only meet enchanting fairy tale characters but also discover them on a deeper level.
Music, Song, Dance, Color, and Light!!!
Empathy, accepting one’s mistakes, and love are the feelings we will all experience together!
Cast and Crew
Script and Direction: Christina Pavlidou
Assistant Director/Vocal Teaching: Konstantinos Andronikou
Music: Andreas Michalopoulos
Lyrics: Stavros Stavrou
Choreography: Maria Stavrinidou (Alors on Dance School)
Set Design: Skynotechniki
Costumes Designer: Vasiliki Troulioti
Makeup Artist: Elena Charalambous
Participating actors in alphabetical order: Anthi Kassinou, Andri Aggelidou, Andreas Londou, Varvara Christofi, Eleni Sidera, Kynthia Pavlidou, Koukas Prokopiou, Natali Aman, Riana Athanasiou, Christos Grozos, Christiana Larkou
All net proceeds from the performance will go toward the charitable activities of Eikona Zois. www.eikonazois.org
5 Wed
Berlinale Selection 2025 - Goethe-Institut Cyprus
The screening of the two films is taking place within the framework of the Berlinale Selection 2025, organized by the Goethe-Institut Cyprus.
18:00 (116’)
When will it be again like it never was before / Wann wird es wieder so, wie es nie war (GER 2023)
An incredibly funny and deeply moving film that deals with growing up under unusual circumstances. Joachim is the youngest son of the director of one of Germany’s largest psychiatric hospitals. He spends his childhood and adolescence on the grounds of the psychiatric hospital, as their family home is located on the premises. To Joachim, the patients are like family. This coming-of-age film is a celebration of life in all its absurdity and fleetingness.
From Berlinale’s Generation 14plus, 2023
Directed by: Sonja Heiss
Screenplay by: Sonja Heiss, Lars Hubrich
Based on the bestselling autobiographical novel by Joachim Meyerhoff
Comedy
© Komplizen Film GmbH, Warner Bros. Entertainment GmbH
In German with English subtitles
20:30 (111’)
Reproduction / Reproduktion (GER 2024)
“Who is allowed to show what? And who is being looked at?”
Katharina Pethke becomes professor at Hamburg’s University of Fine Arts, where both her mother and grandmother had studied. This becomes a catalyst for reflection and research. Reproduction directed by established filmmaker Katharina Pethke, examines the ideal images of women in art, explores questions of identity, and looks at power and gender relations across three generations of women who are artists and mothers.
From the Forum 2024 Section
Directed by Katharina Pethke
Documentary
© Christoph Rohrscheidt
In German with English subtitles
6 Thu 20:30 (100')
2nd Yeast Int'l Student Film Festival
The Department of Fine Arts of Cyprus University of Technology, in collaboration with the Department of Communication and Internet Studies and Limassol Cine Club, presents a selection of short films from across the globe, in the frame of YEAST, a three-day international short film festival, organised in Limassol for the second consecutive year.
7 Fri 20:30 (90’)
Despina Olympiou
Lanitio Alumni and Friends Association
The Lanitio Alumni and Friends Association (SAFL), in collaboration with the Music Inspection Office of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, presents a nostalgic concert featuring songs from the Greek retro repertoire, a musical stroll through Athens of the interwar period.
A concert for all ages, bringing to life beloved and reminiscent songs from the 1930s, performed by renowned Cypriot singer Despina Olympiou.
With the participation of the OELMEK choir and the orchestra of music teachers, conducted by Andriana Sergidou.
The event is held under the auspices of the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth.
12 Wed 20:30
Vanya - Anton Chekhov Ι NT Live
Rialto Theatre continues the collaboration with National Theatre Live - an exciting initiative of the Royal National Theatre in London to broadcast live performances of the best of British theatre to cinemas and movie theatres around the world. NT Live launched in Cyprus by RIALTO theatre in September 2012.
Andrew Scott (Fleabag) brings multiple characters to life in Simon Stephens’ (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) radical new version of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Hopes, dreams, and regrets are thrust into sharp focus in this one-man adaptation, which explores the complexities of human emotions. With Greek and English subtitles.
Adapted by Simon Stephens, after Anton Chekhov
Directed by Sam Yates
Designed by Rosanna Vize
Press Quotes
‘Andrew Scott’s one-man Chekhov is the performance of the year’ iNews
‘An acting masterclass’ Evening Standard
‘Andrew Scott is mesmerising’ Telegraph
‘Unquestionably theatre at its best’ Broadway World
‘Funny, sexy and surprisingly emotional’ Independent
13 Thu 20:30 (90’)
Piano masterpieces – Martino Tirimo
Internationally acclaimed pianist Martino Tirimo performs masterpieces by three of the greatest composers - Beethoven, Schubert, and Chopin—including a Chopin Waltz discovered just a few months ago.
Repertoire:
Franz Schubert: Sonata in A D664
Ludwig van Beethoven: 15 Variations and Fugue in E flat Op.35 (‘Eroica’)
Frédéric Chopin: 4 Studies (from Op.10 and 25)
Frédéric Chopin: 4 Mazurkas Op.30
Frédéric Chopin: Valse in A minor (discovered in 2024, 1st performance in Cyprus)
Frédéric Chopin: Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise Op.22
15 Sat 20:30 (120’)
Mother - Wajdi Mouawad Ι THOC New Stage
Mother is the latest production of THOC’s New Stage “Nicos Charalambous”, written by acclaimed Lebanese-Canadian playwright, director, and actor Wajdi Mouawad, drawing on autobiographical elements. This is the final part of a trilogy that shifts the focus on members of the writer’s family, presented for the first time in Greek, and directed by Maria Mannaridou Karsera, recipient of the 2022 THOC Grand Prize.
In Mother (2021), Wajdi Mouawad revisits the themes of displacement, the trauma of war memory, and its intricate pathways, sharing his personal experience with the audience. A deep dive into the author’s recollections and their distortion over time, the play stands at the intersection of reality and fiction, where his mother takes centre stage, confronting war and her own inevitable uprooting.
His mother’s recollection is being reconstructed in an apartment in Paris, where the Mouawad family settled for five years due to the Lebanese civil war in the late 1970s. To her, this space is a temporary refuge, one she anxiously longs to leave every month in order to return to Beirut; a return to her roots that is constantly postponed and a trauma that continually deepens, the effects of which are strongly felt by her youngest son. The narrative weaves together the tragedy of displacement with the internal conflicts of family life, crafting a tapestry of profoundly humane questions about maternal love, loss, war and its miseries, as well as the vital resilience of human existence.
Maria Mannaridou Karsera approaches the play as a journey through the fragments of memory, where the characters discover the limits of their resilience. With the support of an exceptional cast and crew, she aims to highlight the fusion of personal and collective trauma, realism and dreams, and the clash between past and present. She invites the audience on a poetic and emotional journey, infused with nostalgia, humour, and tenderness. An ode to motherhood, an ode to life, but also a declaration of love for Lebanon and the Lebanese culture.
Translated by: Despina Pirketti
Directed by: Maria Mannaridou Karsera
Set & Costume Design: Thelma Kasoulidou
Movement: Eva Kalomiri
Music: Nektarios Rodosthenous
Video projections: Yiorgos Alexandrou
Lighting design: Georgios Koukoumas
Assistant director: Fotis Fotiou
Cast (in alphabetical order): Paris Erotokritou, Melanie Steliou, Maria Tsiakka, Christina Christophia and Orestes Christodoulides
16 Sun 11:00 (50’)
Οut of the box Ι Antilogos Theatre & Humart (4+)
In the magical world of emotions.
A box brimming with emotions... but what secrets might it hold? Anger, sadness, and fear can sometimes feel like heavy, shadowy boxes that burden our hearts. But what happens when we dare to open them?
This enchanting performance, filled with light and wonder, encourages us to view emotions from a fresh perspective. Along this journey, children will discover that every emotion can take on its own shape and color. While each box may carry a weight, it also contains the key to its resolution.
Together, we will uncover the keys to unlock and set free positive emotions like joy, optimism, tenderness, and friendship. This performance beautifully illustrates that emotions are not burdens but treasured companions that can lift us to new heights.
Concept/directing: Eleni Anastasiou
Dramaturgy: Stavros Stavrou
Movement: Ivi Hadjivassiliou
Set/Costume design: Yiorgos Yiannou
Music: Christina Georgiou
Lighting design: Vassilis Petinaris
Assistant director: Eleni Anastasiou
On stage: Fanos Theofanous, Vasilis Paphitis, Ivi Hadjivassiliou
Co-produced by Theatro Antilogos and Humart
18 & 19 Tue & Wed 20:30
Drama International Short Film Festival on the Road
The awarded Greek short films of Drama International Short Film Festival travel to dozens of destinations every year, including the cities of Limassol, Nicosia and Pafos.
The screenings are co-organised by the Department of Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture, the Rialto Theatre and DISFF, in collaboration with the Friends of Cinema Society Nicosia, Pafos House of Arts and Letters and Limassol Cine Club.
With English subtitles.
25 Tue 20:30 (110’)
je suis malade Ι Anemona Theatre (12+)
Based on the turbulent life of world-renowned performer Dalida, a woman whose deepest desire was to love and to be loved. Afraid of the dark, Dalida sought refuge in the dazzling lights of glory. She experienced three great loves which, in a cruel twist of fate, ended in a tragic heartbreak. Left completely alone, she overcame her fear of darkness and chose to dim the lights of her own life forever. The production unfolds the story in chapters, tracing her artistic career and eventful life: from the beginning of her career in France at the age of twenty-two to her tragic death at fifty-four. Both the show and the work pay tribute to this legendary woman who reigned as a musical sensation for thirty years and left an indelible mark on French culture through her image and music. Honouring her legacy, the play reminds old generations and introduces younger ones to one of the greatest performers the world has ever known.
Written by: Marilena Achilleos
Directed by: Andreas Tilemachou
Set & Costume design: Thelma Kasoulidou
Lighting design: Vasilis Petinaris
Video art: Maria Mitsi
Music supervision: Andreas Tilemachou
Choreography: Yiorgos Dimopoulos
Light and sound operator: Marilia Konstantinou
Assistant director: Nikolas Petrou
Photography: Christos Avraamides
Graphic design: Theodora Petrou
Cast: Andrea Dimitriou, Marinos Xenofontos, Chris Spyrou, Evagoras Theodosiou, Yianna Lefkariti, Yiorgos Iosif, Dimitris Yiorkatzis, Yiannis Fotinos.
March 2025
4 - 5 Tue & Wed 17:30 & 20:30 (120’)
Calendar Girls - Tim Firths I Lexi Theatre
Calendar Girls, or a Hymn to Love, Friendship, and Life
A masterfully crafted play based on a true story, where humor intertwines with emotion, grief with a thirst for life, and despair with hope.
Six women, each strikingly different from one another, join forces to renovate the reception and waiting area of the Oncology Unit after one of them recently lost her husband to cancer. The way they decide to raise the necessary funds for this renovation is, of course, unconventional and controversial.
They push past their limits, breaking the moral taboos of their tight-knit community, and pose nude for the camera to create their own Calendar, which they then sell to raise money. The success of their Calendar surpasses all expectations, propelling them into the spotlight.
The Calendar seems to be just the beginning of something far greater than they ever imagined. Yet, this newfound success challenges their friendship, confronting them with their own personal and unfiltered truths.
Translation : Christina Konstantinou
Director: Giorgos Tsiakkas
Set Design: Elena Katsouri
Costumes: Sophie Andreou
Light Design: Alex Jotovic
Starring: Elena Eftasthiou, Christina Pavlidou, Marinos Chatzivasiliou, Kynthia Pavlidou, Eleni Sidera, Marina Vronti, Stavriana Kadi, Angelos Hadjimichael
Information: 70000146
9 Sun 17:00 (60’) 4+
Franz Kafka’s Doll I Ηumart
The creative team behind the successful “STILL! – A statue that travelled the world” returns three years later, with its new production. In “Franz Kafka’s Doll”, the team attempts to transport us to the magical world of a – possibly – true story, filled with emotion. A story that reminds us that “what we love will probably be lost, but love will return in another way…”.
Berlin, Autumn 1923. In a park, somewhere in the city, a girl cries inconsolably because she lost her doll. There, she meets the famous writer Franz Kafka, who reassures her, telling her that her doll was not lost, but left for a long journey, to get to know the world. From that day on, the girl receives through Kafka the letters her doll sends her, describing her adventures from every corner of the world… and beyond!
A performance full of images, music and humour, suitable for children from 4 years old.
Director: Kostas Silvestros
Dramaturgy/script/lyrics: Stavros Stavrou
Music composition: Thodoris Economou
Set/costume design: Constantina Andreou
Lighting design: Vassilis Petinaris
Choreography & Movement: Alex Kyriazis
Multimedia design: Anna Fotiadou
Make-up: Giorgos Vavanos
Vocal coaching: Christina Tselepou
Assistant director: Andri Eracleous
Assistant set/costume designer: Iphigenia Avraam
Photography: Dimitris Loutsios
Cast: Christina Papadopoulou, Anthony Papamichael, Andreas Koutsoftas, Anthi Kasinou, Rafaella Kavazi
Dancer: Giannis Economides
On-stage musician: Andreas Michalopoulos
Production: Humart. Production Management: Stavros Stavrou
Main sponsor: Deputy Ministry of Culture. Sponsor: MusicEra
14 – 16 Fri 19:00 Sat & Sun 11:30 & 16:00 (50’)
88 Little Symphonies – Stephanos Droussiotis (On Stage)
Stephanos Droushiotis’ successful performance returns at Rialto Theatre!
A memorable performance for a grand piano, two celestial bodies, and one invisible orchestra.
Drawing on his journey in music and performing arts, Stephanos Droussiotis presents an inventive concert performance that introduces young audiences to classical music and its myriad of secrets. Through a series of fascinating images, this captivating experience will encourage children to explore a world of thoughts and questions: What is music? How is music created? Why do we keep on creating and enjoying music?
A project presented in the frame of the Associate Artist Residence Scheme 2024.
Concept, directing, lighting design, performance: Stephanos Droussiotis
19 Wed 20:30 (75’)
The Bible: the complete word of God (Abridged) – Antilogos Theatre
“In the beginning”, as stated by a divine voice, “there was chaos”. But why stop there? The disorder continues in the middle and in the end of the Bible too! The Bible: the complete word of God (Abridged) by Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor is a witty, hilarious comedy striving to understand “authentic stories” that we came across early on in history. Unquestionably, the work, which “falsifies the most significant story ever acknowledged as a fact” contains exceptional, surrealistically theatrical moments. In this play, the ultimate religious question is one and only: does God have a sense of humour? Undoubtedly yes.
Otherwise, why would he leave the Children of Israel wonder around the Middle East for 40 years just to offer them a piece of land without oil?
A barrage of images created by three actors-performers and a musician, in a show with singing, dancing and pondering on fundamental questions. “Should the Bible be interpreted literally”? Through comic situations, the four performers explore issues of religious freedom. A work reflecting on our responsibilities, our choices, limitations and freedom; reflecting on life itself.
To what extent have we been affected by the best-selling work of all times, even if we barely ever read it until the end?
Written by: Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor
Translated by: Errikos Belies
Directed by: Eleni Anastasiou
Dramaturgy: Michalis Papadopoulos
Cast: Aris Kyprianou, Klitos Komodikis, Vassilis Pafitis
Musician on stage: Savvas Chrysostomou
Set design: Eleni Ioannou
Costume design: Marina Nicolaidou
Lighting design: Carolina Spyrou
Movement director: Ivie Hadjivassiliou
20 Thu 20:30 (90’)
Premiere 4 Ι Cyprus Symphony Orchestra
The Premiere 4 concerts present a programme of musical brilliance featuring masterworks by Mozart, Haydn and Rossini, under the baton of the highly awarded conductor, Gudni Emilsson.
The concert will open with the effervescent overture to Rossini's L’Italiana in Algeri, a comedic masterpiece bursting with sparkling wit and energetic rhythms.
Next, Mozart’s sublime Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat major, K. 364 showcases the interplay between violin and viola, a dialogue rich with elegance, poignancy, and joy. The soloists, CySO’s concertmaster Wolfgang Schroeder and the superb violist Paul Cortese will breathe life into this exquisite piece which blends emotional depth with virtuosic charm.
The programme concludes with Haydn’s Symphony no. 97 in C major, a gem from his celebrated London Symphonies. This symphony radiates optimism and sophistication, featuring grand orchestral textures and Haydn’s signature wit.
Gioachino Rossini: L’ italiana in Algeri: Overture
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia concertante in E flat major, K. 364
Joseph Haydn: Symphony no. 97 in C major, Hob. I:97
Wolfgang Schroeder violin
Paul Cortese viola
Gudni Emilsson conductor
Supporters: Rialto Theatre, Pafos Municipality
Ticket prices:
Zone Α: €18 / €14 (concession)
Zone Β: €13 / €10 (concession)
Concession tickets are available to: Students, soldiers, pensioners, large and five-member families on presentation of ID. Free Entrance for people with disabilities.
21 Fri 20:30 (60’)
Sticky Fingers Club - Sticky Fingers Club Collective
Sticky Fingers Club is a performance about failing, where the characters are the background. Notoriously on the fourth place, competing with the unrivalled Meryl Streep fighting for an Oscar. Facing constant defeat, they create a space of celebration where they are the stars. On their own terms, they celebrate being imperfect, supporting each other and challenging each other. Among the expressive characters, there is an opera singer who loves music without reciprocity, a neurotic lady, an out-of-date star and a dancer who was never able to dance a solo scene.
The performance, both in the sphere of movement and in the expressive, frontal "attitude" of the performers, refers to queer and ballroom culture and vogue dance itself. Here, for social exclusion and non-normativity, a space is opened to reveal a colourful identity. Pop-culture references to the queer mainstream, popular fashion shows, or the Bohemian Rhapsody of Queen, giving Sticky Fingers Club a huge dose of humour and self-irony. The performance deals with the wider problem of failure, and the consequent of exclusion and forgetfulness, without resorting to generalisations or moralisations. It uses theatrical and choreographic tools; thus, it is difficult to pigeonhole and classify it. By undermining social norms, it becomes a critical choreography.
I almost got the flowers and I almost knew what the champagne tasted like. I mistook the brake for gas. I am the first to be out of the podium. I overtook all those who are behind me. I almost have a reason to be proud. I got lost in the same place again. I almost got a standing ovation.
Concept | Choreography | Performance: Daniela Komędera-Miśkiewicz, Dominika
Wiak, Dominik Więcek, Monika Witkowska
Dramaturgy support: Konrad Kurowski
Lighting director: Krystian Koźbiał
Music: Przemek Degórski
Costumes using designs by: Krystian Szymczak, Edward Kuzmich, Roman
Marchewka.
Producers: Gdańsk Dance Festival / ŻAK Club, Lublin Dance Theater
Premiere: 03/09/2020 / 12th Gdańsk Dance Festival
Language: Non verbal performance (few quotes in English)
The performance received the Zygmunt Duczyński Award during the 55th Review of Small Theaters KONTRAPUNKT 2021 in Szczecin. The performance received the second prize at The Independent Theatre Competition “The best OFF”.
The performance is created as part of the funded programme “Spaces of Art”. The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, implemented by the Institute of Music and Dance and Theater Institute Zbigniew Raszewski. The operator of the project in Lublin is the Center of Culture in Lublin.
Co-organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of the international cultural programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2025.
Co-organised by Dance House Lemesos within the framework of InBetweening - The art of exchange project.
22 Sat 20:30 (90’)
Derbederissa - Katerina Vrana
One of Greece’s most beloved comedians returns to our island to present her brand-new show, Derbederissa. Following her successful shows in Cyprus in 2024, retelling the horrific yet incredibly comic way she Almost Died, as her previous show is called, she returns with new with brand-new, hilarious material ready to spread laughter.
In “Derbenderissa”, Katerina delves into how she feels as a woman and comedian navigating stereotypes and gender biases. She examines how her disability has impacted her personality, femininity, sexuality, and humor while celebrating the small and big joys that can brighten any day.
In Greek.
March 21, 2025 | 20:30 | Strovolos Theatre, Nicosia
23 Sun11:00 & 13:30 (60’)
My Tail and I - Holobiont collective (3+) On Stage
Interactive dance performance for families with children 3+ y.o.
Language: Nonverbal performance
My Tail and I is the latest production of the acclaimed independent dance collective Holobiont, composed of Polish female artists working in the field of experimental choreography for families. Addressed to families with children over 3 years of age, the performance offers a humorous and young audience-friendly take on the history of evolution (with the human tailbone as one of its remnants).
With a humorous atmosphere and in a form appropriate for the youngest audience, the performance asks: How many tails do we have? How do we feel them? How can they support us in our daily lives? How can they feed our movement and our imagination?
During the event, the artists invite the participating families to join in on a movement interplay with the performers and unleash the creative energy that often lies dormant in our tails.
Concept: Hanna Bylka-Kanecka
Choreography: Holobiont collective in collaboration with Heike Kuhlmann, Adalisa Menghini, and Ka Rustler
Creation | Performance: Aleksandra Bożek-Muszyńska, Hanna Bylka-Kanecka, Dana Chmielewska
Set design collaboration: Mr.Tail
Music: Józef Buchnajzer
Lighting design: Łukasz Kędzierski/Ewa Garniec
Production: Performat Foundation
Co-production: Polish Theatre in Poznan, The Jan and Halina Machulski Ochota Theater in Warsaw
Partner: Somatische Akademie Berlin
Distribution: Performat Production – Karolina Wycisk
Photos: Marek Zakrzewski / SZKICEzWIDZENIA
Co-organised by the National Institute of Music and Dance as part of the “PolandDances / Choreographic residencies” programme. Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
The performance was selected for the Polish Dance Network 2022 and the programme PolandDances – Tournée 2022 of the National Institute of Music and Dance. Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The performance was selected for the Polish Dance Platform 2024, organised by the National Institute of Music and Dance.
Co-organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of the international cultural programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2025.
Co-organised by Dance House Lemesos within the framework of InBetweening - The art of exchange project.
25 & 26 Tue & Wed 20:30 (90‘) 12+
Voices from Chernobyl - Svetlana Alexievich I À Vendre
«What lingers most in my memory of Chernobyl is life afterwards: the possessions without owners, the landscapes without people. The roads going nowhere, the cables leading nowhere. You find yourself wondering just what this is: the past or the future. It sometimes felt to me as if I was recording the future».
Ten years after the Chernobyl nuclear accident, Nobel Prize-winning author Svetlana Alexievich returned to the place where she grew up, to give voice to the people who lived through the events at a stone's throw from the nuclear reactor. Her book consists of a series of monologues and is a record of the oral history of the people of Belarus, those who were scarred by the event - knowingly or unknowingly. Men, women, soldiers, elderly, children, Alexievich's narrators are those who worked in the months after the accident in the area, those who were forced to leave their homes, their villages, their land, and those who returned to live again in the Forbidden Zone.
Cypriot director Maria Kyriakou adapts Alexievich's book for the stage and puts together a performance about love and deep faith. Faith in big ideas, faith in one’s country but also love for the land and nature, love for a specific way of life and what it means to abandon it. Voices from Chernobyl is a performance about human existence, about the sense of belonging and about what it means to search for meaning in a world that gives you none.
Author: Svetlana Alexievich
Director: Maria Kyriakou
Translation - Dramaturgy: Maria Kyriakou
Stage design: Elena Kotasvili
Costumes: Eleni Ioannou
Music Composition and Sound Design: Nama Dama
Movement: Fotis Nikolaou
Lighting Design: Vasilis Petinaris
Assistant Director: Maria Pishili
Visual Communication: Demetris Soteriou
Photographs: Demetris Loutsios
Special Construcitons: Stefanos Nearchou
Production Manager: Maria Philippou
Performers: Stavros Louras, Popi Avraam, Penny Finiri, Michalis Papettas
Performances:
25 & 26 March 2025*, Rialto Theatre, Limassol
April 11, 12, 13, 15*, 16, 22*, 23, 28, 29, 30, Theatro Dentro, Nicosia
(*with English and Russian surtitles)
Info: 97617770 (08:00-13:00 or SMS)
Production: À Vendre Theatre Group
28 Fri 20:30 (75’)
Melodies of the World – From Edith Piaf to Mikis Theodorakis
Alliance Française
As part of the Francophonie Month, Alliance Française de Limassol presents the concert Melodies of the World: From Edith Piaf to Mikis Theodorakis.
The programme features songs by internationally celebrated composers such as Georges Moustaki, Serge Gainsbourg, Michel Legrand, and Marguerite Monnot, as well as works by classical composers like F.P. Tosti and Franz Léhar. Emblematic compositions by Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis will also be presented, along with songs by Cypriot composer Marios Tokas. Additionally, the concert will include a repertoire performed by celebrated artists such as Barbara, Dalida, Juliette Gréco, and Georges Moustaki.
The concert will be delivered by a 12-member symphony orchestra, under the baton of distinguished pianist Stavros Dritsas. The stage will be graced by the soulful voice of Vakia Stavrou and the captivating presence of baritone Kyros Patsalides.
April 2025
4 – 12 Fri – Sat 18+
Cyprus Film Days International Festival 2024
Cyprus’ foremost film event returns for its 22nd edition in Limassol and Nicosia, curated by Artistic Directors Argyro Nicolaou and Marios Lizides. Exuding a profoundly international character, the Festival presents world-acclaimed film premieres (Viewfinder), an international (Glocal Images) and a Cypriot competition section, hands-on workshops and masterclasses, a programme for children and youth, as well as a platform for film industry professionals.
Cyprus Film Days also presents the 5th Dot on the Map Industry Days, a co-production, education, and networking platform, aiming at encouraging film collaborations and synergies between producers, directors and screenwriters from Mediterranean countries, headed by director and producer Danae Stylianou. Additionally, the festival will host another edition of Cyprus Film Days for Children and Youth, curated by its artistic director, Athena Xenidou.
Organised by: Deputy Ministry of Culture – Department of Contemporary Culture & Rialto Theatre.
All films will be screened in their original language with Greek and English subtitles. Films in the Cypriot Films Competition Section will be screened with Turkish subtitles. More Info: cyprusfilmdays.com
Tickets: €5 per screening | €30 festival pass (for all screenings).
Free entrance for students, children (Children and Youth Section), and disabled card holders.
15 Tue 20:30 (70’) 12+
112 based on The Guilty – Christodoulos Andreou (On stage)
A psychological chamber thriller based on the multi-award-winning Danish film production The Guilty.
A police officer has been accused of murder following an on-duty shooting incident. Having been suspended for quite some time now, awaiting a hearing, he has been assigned to answer emergency calls. On the eve of the hearing, things seem to run as usual at the phone call centre. Besides, following his defense before the court, he will be acquitted and will eventually return to the streets, leaving this unfortunate incident behind. But a last-minute emergency call is bound to turn things upside down.
An experience not to be missed, one that maintains the suspense of Cinema, inviting audiences to become witnesses themselves.
Directing-Dramaturgy: Christodoulos Andreou
Composition, sound design & mixing: Andreas Economides
Set & Costume design: Sophia Mavromichali
Lighting design: Vasilis Petinaris
Video art: Pandelis Diamantidis
Stage lighting: Yiannis Hadjiosif
Sound: Christodoulos Andreou
Technical support: Stratos Stamatis
Production: Unmuted Theatre Group
On stage: Panos Makris
Cast (in order of appearance): Yiorgos Hiotis, Panayiota Bibli, Myrsini Christodoulou, Onisiforos Onisiforou, Andreas Koutsoftas, Vasiliki Kypreou, Andreas Koutsoumpas, Nayia Anastasiadou, Mariam Skitini, Stratos Tzortzis, Michalis Kazakas, Niki Rousomani, Christina Tselepou, Savvina Makri.
16 Wed 20:30 (119’)
Maria (UK, USA, France, Germany 2024)
Official Selection - International Competition | Venice Film Festival 2024
Emotionally generous—both to its characters and its audience. - TIME Magazine
A true film about honesty and love. - The Times
Radiant, tender, and emotionally generous. - IndieWire
Bright and sensitive. - Variety
Pablo Larraín, the master of cinematic biography, completes his trilogy of iconic women (Jackie, Spencer) with an unconventional, mesmerising, and deeply cinematic portrayal of the final days of the ultimate diva of classical music. Shot in Greece, Maria features Angelina Jolie in a career-defining role.
1977: Maria Callas, once the world’s greatest opera diva, lives in seclusion in Paris with her staff and two poodles while her health is deteriorating. She receives an invitation to embark on a final tour. Will the Divina sing again? And if so, for whom?
Director’s Note
“My goal with Maria was not to create a traditional biography but rather a striking portrait of Maria Callas, built not only on facts but also on imagination. The film focuses on the contradictions of the renowned soprano’s life, and together, we sought to capture her emotions in a poetic way rather than confine ourselves to encyclopaedic details. With this film, I conclude my ‘unofficial’ trilogy on 20th-century female icons.”
About Pablo Larraín
Pablo Larraín is an acclaimed Chilean director, screenwriter, and producer. Born in 1976 in Santiago, Chile, he grew up in a politically active family. He made his cinematic debut in 2006 with Fuga but gained wider recognition with Tony Manero (2008), a film that explored the dark side of Chilean society under Pinochet’s dictatorship. His film No (2012) was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, depicting the campaign that led to the end of the dictatorship. His filmography also includes Neruda (2016), blending fiction with the biography of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, as well as Jackie (2016), a gripping portrayal of Jackie Kennedy in the aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, which marked Larraín’s debut in Hollywood. Other notable works include Ema (2019) and Spencer (2021), a psychological portrait of Princess Diana.
Director: Pablo Larraín
Screenplay: Steven Knight
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Valeria Golino, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Angelina Papadopoulou, Lydia Koniordou
Countries: United Kingdom, USA, France, Germany
Language: English
Genre: Drama
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23 Wed 20:00 (128’)
André Rieu’s 75th Birthday Celebration: The Dream Continues
André Rieu celebrates his 75th Birthday! The King of the Waltz invites you to a boat party with him and his beloved Johann Strauss Orchestra as they sail through his hometown of Maastricht.
This brand-new cinema special is a tribute to André's childhood dream of one day forming his own orchestra and travelling the world. The film features a selection of André's favourite and most spectacular global performances along with some of the finest moments the Maestro and his Johann Strauss Orchestra have shared during their many decades together.
Most of the concerts featured in this film – The Dream Continues – have never been shown on the big screen before. To mark this amazing milestone, this is your chance to see these iconic André classics for the first time. Come aboard and celebrate André’s 75th in style at your local cinema!
26 Sat 16:00 (110’) 3+
Mozart, The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Directed by Carmen Rougeri – Christina Kouloumbi
Carmen Rougeri and her team present Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to audiences of all ages, reimagining the opera The Magic Flute as a Musical Fairytale enriched with the enchanting melodies of this phenomenal composer.
A Few Words About the Play:
The King of the Day and the Queen of the Night were once madly in love and decided to unite. However, their love was short-lived. She was made of lies and malice, while he was made of truth and kindness. She wanted to rule with darkness, while he wished to reign with light. How could they possibly be compatible? They separated, and their great love immediately turned into enmity.
Nine months later, the Queen of the Night gave birth to a beautiful girl, Pamina, never revealing who the father was. When the King of the Day found out, he was troubled. He wanted to take her with him, fearing that if she lived with her mother, she would inherit her character. So, one day, he secretly took her away and had her guarded in a beautiful tower. The Queen of the Night became furious. She darkened her sky even further, extinguishing her stars. She had to find a way to take back her daughter. Therefore, she began searching for a young man—a hero who could help her. She found one in Prince Tamino, along with Papageno.
Prince Tamino, a symbol of virtue and love, sees in Pamina his ideal match. However, the couple must endure many trials. Armed with love, our heroes will overcome all obstacles and be united forever. Alongside them is Papageno, a charming, fairy-tale-like character whose mischief will bring children moments of joy and laughter. By the end of the play, the two enemies—the Queen of the Night and the King of the Day—will be reconciled. Good triumphs over evil, spreading across the world.
Written & narrated by: Carmen Rougeri
Directing: Carmen Rougeri - Christina Kouloumbi
Set & Costume Design: Christina Kouloubi
Movement - Choreography - Lighting: Petros Gallias
Music Editing - Video Art: Antonis Delaportas
Lyrics - Music Selection: Andreas Kouloumbis
Song Coaching: Eleni Zioga
Set Design Constructions & Painting: Yiannis Spanopoulos
Assistant Director: Giannis Tsourounakis
Assistant Costume Designer: Melina Mavidou
Production Management – Tour Coordinator: Eleni Kartasi
Cast (in alphabetical order):
Aris Delagrammatikas, Stefanos Korres, Christina Kouloumbi, Nikos Kyrtsos, Fotis Lamari, Ino Pikioni, Alexandra Skendrou, Mavra-Maria Theodorakopoulou
Three Spirits (voices): Anna-Maria Blathra, Veronika Sandberg, Asimina Tsigka
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27 Sun 20:30 (120’)
What I Love… | Elena Solea
Elena Solea takes the stage for her first solo concert, performing songs that have defined her 30-year journey in the local music scene.
The concert will feature songs by some of the most significant Greek composers and lyricists, including Kostas Hatzis, Manos Hadjidakis, Giannis Spanos, Dionysis Savvopoulos, Manos Loizos, Thanos Mikroutsikos, Stamatis Kraounakis, Evanthia Reboutsika, Manos Eleftheriou, Lefteris Papadopoulos, Sotia Tsotou, Lina Nikolakopoulou, and many more.
The repertoire includes: Mama gernao, Afti i nihta meni, Mia thalassa mikri, Koutsi kithara, Markiza, Ela se mena, Den ime allos, Dio meres mono, Zitate na sas po, Ola dika sou, I agapi ola ta ipomeni, and others. These songs will be performed and reinterpreted in a unique way by a special orchestra, featuring a string quartet with double bass, cello, violin, and guitar, along with trombone and piano accompaniment.
Orchestration & musical direction: Antonis Polykarpou.
29 Tue 20:30 (56’)
Bliss I Asomates Dynameis Dance Company / On Stage
How could one describe the state of bliss? As a holistic experience of psychosomatic euphoria, fulfilment, pleasure, relief, and beatitude? How does this experience have the power to reconcile us, even momentarily, with life—its concerns, struggles, and pains—and lead us to a profound acceptance of our existence in the here and now?
Is bliss a chimera that drives us into an endless cycle of pursuit and repetition? Or can it evolve into a lasting state, the result of a conscious cultivation of our potential as human beings? Is it a material or a spiritual experience?
Six performers take the stage, using speech, sound, and movement to share their personal or collective experience of bliss. They meet and intersect, confide and contradict. With simple materials, they construct their own world of bliss, while remaining sincere, vulnerable, and imperfectly humane.
Concept, Direction, Choreography: Andromachi Dimitriadou Lindahl
Dramaturgy: Christos Polymenakos
Music Composition: Konstantina Polychronopoulou
Set, Costume Design: Anthi Kettirou
Light Design: George Lazoglou
Graphic Design: Ernst Lindahl
Perform, co-create: Georgia Constantinou Clark, Elisavet Panayiotou, Ifigeneia Christodoulou, Maria Charalambous, Napa Gavriel, Sotiris Sotiriou.
The performance is funded by the Cultural Services of the Deputy Ministry of Culture - Department of Contemporary Culture, in the frame of the Terpsichore 2025 programme.
The performance takes place on stage and seating is not numbered. The plan only refers to the number of available seats.
Tickets: €13 /10 (for supporters, students, dancers, choreographers, pensioners, unemployed).
May 2025
2 Fri 20:30 (90’)
Little Eyolf by Henrik Ibsen I THOC New Stage (14+)
In Henrik Ibsen’s masterpiece Little Eyolf, romantic infatuation and obsessive love directly and indirectly shape the young boy’s early life. Parental carelessness and negligence–whether accidental or intentional–that lead to the abuse and sometimes even death of children is a familiar and timeless subject that horrifies anyone with a moral conscience whenever it is brought to light. Although the great Norwegian playwright’s partly autobiographical drama is rarely performed, it remains shockingly relevant across countries and eras. Guilt, repression, doubt, and hidden secrets ignite the conflicts between the play's characters.
Direction: Stefan Larsson
Translation: Margarita Melberg
Direction–Adaptation: Stefan Larsson
Set Design: Sven Haraldsson
Costumes: Lakis Genethlis
Visual Media Consultant: Torben Lendorph
Assistant Director: Maya Kyriazi
Live Filming–Camera Operation: Nefeli Kentoni
Lighting Design: Georgios Koukoulmas
Cast (in alphabetical order): Andreas Koutsoftas, Marina Makri, Lenia Sorokou, Andreas Tselepοs Margarita Zachariou
Featuring: the child Iosif Katsoulakis
With English and Turkish surtitles
7 Wed, 20:00 (170’)
The importance of being Earnest - Oscar Wilde I NT Live
Three-time Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke is joined by Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who; Sex Education) in this joyful reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy.
While assuming the role of a dutiful guardian in the country, Jack lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy adopts a similar facade. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate.
Max Webster (Life of Pi) directs this hilarious story of identity, impersonation and romance, filmed live from the National Theatre in London.
Director: Max Webster
Set and Costume: Rae Smith
Lighting Designer: Jon Clark
Sound Designer: Nicola T. Chang
Cast: Ronke Adιkoluιjó, Lane Julian Bleach, Shereener Browne, Richard Cant, Sharon D Clarke
Press Quotes
‘A flawless piece of comic theatre’ Broadway World
A sparkling new production...that's fiercely faithful to Wilde's wickedly subversive spirit’ Daily Mail
‘Fun, fabulous and fiery, it’s a hoot’ London Theatre
‘Ncuti Gatwa leads a Wilde party of irresistible anarchic charm’ Guardian
‘A bold and brash Wilde reboot’ Times
‘A pure blast’ Time Out
‘Immensely enjoyable, delivered with irrepressible, infectious glee’ Financial Times
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9 Fri 20:30 (90’)
The Birthday Party I Solo gia Treis 15+
Harold Pinter's cryptic classic - a melding of absurdity, power, ambiguity, meaninglessness and sanity.
With the structure of a thriller and strong elements of the Theatre of the Absurd—yet also featuring tragicomic situations emerging from this blend—the story takes place in a neglected seaside boarding house run by a kind-hearted woman, Meg, with her husband, Petey. There, Stanley, a former pianist, has found refuge. He is the only guest at the boarding house—until two unknown men, Goldberg and McCann, arrive who, for all we know, are there "on a job." After an absurd and exhausting interrogation, they organise a "birthday party" for Stanley, one which gradually turns into a nightmare. A "birthday party" for Stanley whose birthday it may – or may not – be. In Greek
Translation: Fotis Fotiou
Direction: Maria Mannaridou - Karsera
Set / Costume design: Lakis Genethlis
Music Composition: Nektarios Rodosthenous
Movement: Ivi Hadjivassiliou
Lighting design: Vasilis Petinaris
Set Construction & Painting: Martin Meason
Assistant Director: Maria Pishili
Technical Support: K.S. Ichotechniki
Production: Solo gia Treis
Cast (in order of appearance)
Andrey Krupa, Christina Christofia, Panos Makris, Lazaria Frangou, Dimitris Antoniou, Fotis Fotiou
14 Wed 20:30 (70’)
Flery’s Song - Dimitris Economou
Directed by Manos Karatzogiannis
Cast: Eleni Kokkidou
The theatrical monologue by award-winning prose writer Dimitris Economou about the life and work of Flery Dantonaki, directed by Manos Karatzogiannis and featuring Eleni Kokkidou in the title role, comes to the Rialto Theatre on 14 May.
The audience is nothing more than our parents and ourselves a defenceless child before them 1985. Roman Agora.
Flery Dantonaki’s final major concert. The event becomes a cultural phenomenon, with an enormous crowd—so large that people cling to the railings just to watch. Moments before the show begins, Flery suffers a severe bout of agoraphobia and refuses to go on stage. She spends some time alone, trying to recover and summon the courage she needs. How was she feeling? Where did she search for strength? What were her guiding values—and what haunted her? This play explores those intense moments—her thoughts, emotions, fears, and insecurities—seeking the delicate boundary between Art and sacrifice, between genius and the cost it demands. Following his acclaimed productions Eleni (about Eleni Papadaki), Guardian of a Revolution (about Yiannis Vlachoyiannis), and his film on Melina Mercouri, Melina, Freeze Frame – In Search of Modern Greekness, Manos Karatzogiannis directs Eleni Kokkidou in a performance that captivated both audiences and critics during the past theatre season. The script, a tribute to the extraordinary Greek singer, Flery Dantonaki, is written by award-winning prose writer Dimitris Economou.
Director’s Note
Maybe she’s right. In any case, she’s telling the truth—her truth.
Just like all the “mad ones” do... Only in her case, the child inside is a miracle, and her madness feels like it comes straight from the moon. Yes, we are speaking about Flery—fifty years after the release of “The Great Erotic”—about “her song, her moments of heartbreak”, as captured in the exceptional text by prose writer Dimitris Economou, who marks his first venture into theatre writing, and brought vividly to life by Eleni Kokkidou’s heartfelt performance.
Then there’s the sound of Manos Hadjidakis—always “incomparable,” just as the composer himself once described Flery’s voice. A voice capable of setting our hearts free. A voice like that of Flery Dantonaki.
Manos Karatzogiannis
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17 Sat 19:00
What happens to me is written up there by Maria Loizidou
Pylon Art & Culture
With free access between 19:00–22:00
In a new interpretation of the performance What happens to me is written up there, (2022), Maria Loizidou chooses the space of a theatre to host, for one night only, the tensions of fragile pencil lines that transcend paper and the practice of rendering speech as a reading of reflections of shared experiences.
What happens to me is written up there is part of a new exhibition by Maria Loizidou, titled Newcomers, at Pylon Art & Culture, Minerva Hotel, Platres.
Directed by Maria Loizidou
Video-animation by Nefeli Kentoni, 2022
Sound installation by Manos Stratis, Evagoras Bekiaris, 2025
with the participation of Elana Sasson, Andreas Zembylas
Facilitators: Maria Agisilaou, Marianna Giannaki, Ioli Kaskani, Nayia T. Karacosta, Christos Loizou, Maria Papageorgiou, Belinda Papavasiliou, Annie Khoury
Production by Pylon Art & Culture
19 & 20 Mon & Tue
Thanasis Alevras 46 & Sexy
With Idra Kayne & Jerome Kaluta
Directed by: Fokas Evangelinos
Fresh off the success of his smash-hit autobiographical musical satire “40+Vgaino”, which captivated audiences for two years, THANASIS ALEVRAS returns to the Rialto Theatre stage—this time, a little older and undeniably sexier! His brand-new show, titled “46 & Sexy”, is a bold mix-and-match of music and satire set to stir things up and add some irresistible flair to our everyday.
With a mischievous wink, Thanasis Alevras states: “This is a performance filled with self-deprecating humour, poking fun at the relentless sexiness and obsession with flawless beauty that defines our era – a little cheeky, unfiltered and definitely sensual. You'll see, sex is everywhere: in the streets, politics, the arts, fashion, music… even in our bills!”
Joining him on stage are his two incredible partners: the sensational voice and soul & funk performer Idra Kayne, and the velvet-voiced lover Jerome Kaluta, a multitalented artist who stands out as a musician, singer, actor, and now as a presenter, too. The show’s script was written by the talented Yiorgos Pavrianos, with hilarious contributions from Alevras’ soulmate, Fivos Delivorias, and his dear friend Antonis Thysiadis.
As Alevras notes: “In this cheeky show, we fearlessly embrace sex and all the passion it deserves! But as romantic children of the ’80s, we still believe in connection, flirting, and love. As for the rest… see you at the Rialto Theatre!”
Note: Parental Guidance is Advised
Credits
Directed by: Fokas Evangelinos
Written by: Yiorgos Pavrianos
Contributing Writers: Fivos Delivorias, Antonis Thysiadis, Thanasis Alevras
Art Direction: Thanasis Alevras
Material Editing: Magda Gogouviti
Music Direction & Arrangements: Evripidis Zemenidis
Musicians:
Evripidis Zemenidis – Guitars
Thanos Michailidis – Drums
Yiorgos Bouldis – Bass
Christos Papadopoulos – Saxophone, Clarinet
Alexandros Dimopoulos – Keys
Video & Projections: Pantelis Makkas
Costumes: Giorgos Segredakis
Lighting Design: Periklis Mathiellis
Sound Design: Yiannis Paxevanis
Artwork: Konstantinos Georgantas
Photography: Roula Revi
Production / Management: Prospero
24 Sat 19:00 (105’)
Ocean with David Attenborough (10+)
Ocean with David Attenborough takes viewers on a breathtaking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean.
The celebrated broadcaster and filmmaker reveals how his lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests and the open ocean, Attenborough shares why a healthy ocean keeps the entire planet stable and flourishing.
Stunning, immersive cinematography showcases the wonder of life under the seas and exposes the realities and challenges facing our ocean as never-before-seen, from destructive fishing techniques to mass coral reef bleaching. Yet the story is one of optimism, with Attenborough pointing to inspirational stories from around the world to deliver his greatest message: the ocean can recover to a glory beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.
Production: Piece Of Magic Entertainment.
In English with Greek subtitles.
28 Wed 20:30 (75’)
Water in Cyprus – Memories of bygone times era (CY 2025)
Paschalis Papapetrou
From the world’s oldest radiocarbon-dated water wells (8400 BC) to the introduction of the first water meters in households (1960).
A documentary that explores the efforts of Cypriots living in a semi-arid geographical region to divert water from riverbeds in order to irrigate their fields and ensure agricultural production, as well as their determination to exploit shallow aquifers by digging tunnels (qanats).
Directed by: Paschalis Papapetrou
Written by: Dr Giorgos Konstantinou, Paschalis Papapetrou
Director of Photography: Nicos Avraamides
Editing: Paschalis Papapetrou
Additional cinematography: Paschalis Papapetrou
Scientific advisors: Dr Giorgos Konstantinou – geologist, Dr Sophocles Hadjisavvas – archaeologist, Dr Kyriakos Kyrou – civil engineer
Narration: Costas Charalambides, Pambos Sakkas
Co-production: Anadysis Films & Deputy Ministry of Culture (Department of Contemporary Culture).
In Greek, with English subtitles.
With the support of EOA Lemesos
June 2025
1 Sun 20:30 (90’)
The Dogs
Anestis Azas Ι In collaboration with Athens Festival
Having won over both local and international audiences with the delightfully sharp Baklava Republic, Anestis Azas and his team are back with a bold new production, titled The Dogs. A group of detective dogs appears on stage. Their mission: to uncover the truth behind the abuse and death of a husky in Arachova—a case that recently shocked the Greek public. Which version of events is true? Was the killer human, as initially reported, or did the gentle animal fall victim to a pack of wild dogs, as the official police report claims? Can these canine detectives, who’ve secretly travelled from all corners of the world, discover what really happened?
Based on a real police report, employing the techniques of documentary theatre, and drawing inspiration from film noir and Aristophanic comedy, The Dogs unfolds as a political allegory. At its core is the issue of social violence increasingly directed at the vulnerable. Can dogs deliver justice better than humans? In a dog-governed society, could abused animals finally find vindication?
The Dogs premiered in July 2024 as part of the Grape programme at the Athens Epidaurus Festival and won the Mastercard Audience Award – First Prize.
Cast: Giorgos Katsis, Elena Mavridou, Konstantinos Moraitis, Panayiotis Manouilidis, Maria Petevi, Gary Salomon, Michalis Pitidis
Concept / Directing: Anestis Azas
Text: Michalis Pitidis, Gerasimos Bekas, Anestis Azas
Music: Panayiotis Manouilidis
Sound design: Angelos Kontaxis
Set design: Dido Gogou
Costumes: Vassilia Rozana
Animal Body Training: Konstantinos Moraitis
Lights (tour in Cyprus): Yiorgos Kassakos
Lights (Athens Epidaurus Festival 2024): Eleni Choumou
Assistant director: Michalis Pitidis
Second assistant director: Ioanna Kanellopoulou
Photos: Karol Jarek
In Greek with English surtitles.
Α production of Athens Epidaurus Festival- premiered in July 2024 as part of the grape – Greek Agora of Performance programme at the Athens Epidaurus Festival (a platform dedicated to promoting and exporting Greek performing arts worldwide). The touring of the performance in Cyprus is supported by Athens Epidaurus Festival.
Tickets: € 25 / 20
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4 Wed, 20:30 (55’)
VÉNUS ANATOMIQUE*
SARAH BALTZINGER, France, 14+
In reference to the fascinating wax figures created by the ceroplast Clemente Susini (late 18th century), Vénus Anatomique articulates itself between the macabre and "pulsion de vie". The piece creates an imaginary world that explores the strange, erotic, and biblical nature of these artificial bodies, originally designed to teach anatomy. This work continues a choreographic research around puppeteering and mechanical gestures, revealing the body in a fragmented way. The tension between physical intensity and stillness drives the choreography. Vénus Anatomique presents a collection of female bodies prepared for “labour”, suddenly plunged into survival. These bodies oscillate between human nature and objectified representations. This duality is met with the body’s instinct to reclaim itself. Sarah Baltzinger offers a critical take on the disorder of a world obsessed with superficial simulacra and sexualisation of the female form, turning femininity into a masquerade performed through an absurd and distorted lens. In her choreographic work, Sarah Baltzinger enjoys exploring all possibilities around the puppeteering body. She uses the body, in connection with different materials, as a complex tool of possibilities aimed at transforming the natural approach to movement to create strange worlds, between absurd theatricality and intense physicality.
Sarah Baltzinger, a self-made artist, began contemporary dance at the age of 18. She studied performing arts, art history and cultural industry at university in France. She began her career as a professional dancer and worked with various choreographers and artists in Europe. In 2016, she initiated her own choreographic work and has, to date, several creations to her credit, such as What does not belong to us (2018), Don’t you see it coming (2021 – selection Petites Scènes Ouvertes), and Rouge est une couleur froide (2021). In 2023, she created Vénus Anatomique, inviting five women on stage to question representations of the female body. In 2022, she and Isaiah Wilson began co-directing several projects, including the duet Megastructure, winning multiple awards at RIDCC 2023, including the XL Production Award, which will lead to a new creation for Scapino Ballet Rotterdam in 2025 (GOATS). They also received four partner awards (Nederlands Dans Theater, Skånes Dansteater, Sally Dansgezelschap Maastricht, MAAS Theater En Dans). As Aerowaves Twenty24 artists, they will perform at the Spring Forward Festival.
Tickets: €8 (€30 for all performances)
Free entrance to students, soldiers, pensioners, PWD cardholders and dance professionals.
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6 Fri 20:30 (55’)
The Love Behind My Eyes*
ALI CHAHROUR, Lebanon, 14+
The Love Behind My Eyes touches upon the fading away of love — violent endings to forbidden stories, where lovers die with gaping eyes, wide open, staring into the killer’s gaze that had once given them their reason to be. The performance is part of a new triptych entitled Love and addresses the different myths of love and passion based on Arab heritage. It is anchored in the stories, legends, and lyric poetry (ghazal) of the Arab patrimony, and their relation to the concept of love and the different ways it is expressed in contemporary societies. The performance also examines lyric poetry — an art form sung in highly musical verse to convey powerful feelings. Lyric poetry, always spoken in the first person, is but one genre of Arab sung poetry, yet perhaps the one that most closely reflects its propensity to provoke emotion. Here, it expresses love in all its complexities, and the emotions of lovers. Throughout the performance, we see how these intricate feelings are reflected in the soul and the body, and how these in turn affect the body’s presence and movement. All of society and its taboos are interwoven in the forbidden stories of love referred to in this performance. Many are untold stories from the Arab legacy, such as that of Bin Daoud and his lover Bin Jamea, who lived in socially and religiously intense contexts. Others come from our contemporary societies, shaped by social norms and political or religious structures. We examine together how all these complexities have affected the path of these relationships and their intimacy. Consequently, we hope to understand the place of the body — and its role — in and through these stories, narrated from Arab memory.
Born in Beirut, choreographer and dancer Ali Chahrour invents a gesture, freed from Western codes and models, which acts as a reflection of his culture and the political, social, and religious context in which he has evolved. In a previous series of shows, part of his trilogy Death - Fatmeh (2014), Leila’s Death (2015) and May he Rise and smell the fragrance (2017), he evoked funeral liturgies, blending tradition with sharp modernity. He then embarked on a second series of performances devoted to Love, beginning with Night (2019), followed by Told by my Mother (2021), The Love Behind My Eyes — which won the ZKB Patronage Prize at the 2022 Zurich Theater Spektakel — and concluding with Iza Hawa (2023). Combining lyrical poetry, raw emotion, and tangled bodies, Ali Chahrour’s corpus of work weaves a vivid tapestry of human connection. His performances have been presented at the Avignon Festival in 2016, 2018 and 2022 and at numerous festivals worldwide. He is currently developing a new trilogy centred on the theme of fear.
Tickets: €8 (€30 for all performances)
Free entrance to students, soldiers, pensioners, PWD cardholders and dance professionals.
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11 Wed 20:30 (60’)
Full Moon*
JOSEF NADJ, France
In the framework of the Festival the performance will be presented at Nicosia Municipal Theatre on 8th of June, at 20:30.
Full Moon is the continuation of Josef Nadj’s previous work, Omma (2020), a project exploring the origins of dance and movement with African dancers. Seven of the original eight performers reunite here, encouraged by Nadj to explore their personal histories, memories, and cultural roots. The work draws from the energies of nature and tradition, affirming the dancers’ individual identities. In addition to this introspective research, Nadj delves into African-American jazz, especially from the late 1950s to early 1980s—a pivotal era of musical and social revolution. He investigates its essence, especially free jazz, seeking a dance language that resonates with its spirit. Full Moon pays tribute to artists like Charles Mingus and Cecil Taylor. Another key figure is the puppet, a recurring symbol in Nadj’s work. Bridging the animate and inanimate, it reflects imperfection and the idea that creation always remains incomplete—open to play, transformation, and the unknown.
Josef Nadj, born in Kanjiža (Serbia) into a Magyar-speaking family, trained in Fine Arts in Budapest before moving to Paris. There, he studied Mime, Tai Chi, Butoh, and Contemporary Dance with prominent figures such as Sidonie Rochon and François Verret. A choreographer, dancer, visual artist, and photographer, Nadj blends disciplines to create a poetic and exploratory vision of humanity. Since his breakthrough piece titled Canard Pékinois (1987), his work has combined artistic rigour with freedom, inspired by European history and literature (Beckett, Kafka, Michaux) and collaborations with musicians and painters. From 1995 to 2016, he directed the National Choreographic Centre of Orléans, then founded Atelier 3+1 in Paris to give more space to his visual practice. A Chevalier and later Officer of Arts and Letters, his creations—over thirty—have toured nearly 50 countries. Recent works such as Mnémosyne, OMMA, and Full Moon reaffirm his commitment to dance and interdisciplinary exploration.
Tickets: €8 (€30 for all performances)
Free entrance to students, soldiers, pensioners, PWD cardholders and dance professionals.
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12 Thu 20:30 (45’)
ERRONEOUS ENCOUNTERS*PANAYIOTIS TOFI, Cyprus
Erroneous Encounters is an experimental choreographic work that intertwines movement, live electronic music, and poetic text. The piece explores the fragmentation of the self caused by post-traumatic experiences, embodied by three male performers as they navigate fractured phrases of their semi-malfunctioning bodies. Alongside them, a live electronic composer and an actress delivering sections of poetic text, further amplify the exploration of physical and emotional distance. Reflecting on the loss of autonomy and the rising disconnection in contemporary reality, the work challenges perceptions of the body’s fragility and the erosion of empathy through its haunting aesthetics.
Panayiotis Tofi is a choreographer whose research delves into themes of dispossession, decentralisation, and concealment. His work highlights the beauty and exhaustion of the human body, emphasising the uncanny presence of the unfamiliar. Known for his subtle minimalism, poetic text, elements of romanticism, and intense physicality, Panayiotis has developed a distinguished body of contemporary dance work. Originally trained as a visual designer, Panayiotis graduated from Trinity Laban with a First Class Bachelor of Contemporary Dance and a Diploma in Dance Studies. He is an experienced theatre movement designer and director, awarded as ‘Creator of the Year’ by Cyprus Theatre Organisation in 2018 for his artistic versatility, imagination and bold approach towards experimentation. Based on his choreographic research and evolving movement vocabulary, Panayiotis has led workshops in Stockholm, Naples, Athens, Ermoupolis, Limassol and Nicosia, sharing his innovative approaches with dancers and performers across diverse international stages.
Tickets: €8 (€30 for all performances)
Free entrance to students, soldiers, pensioners, PWD cardholders and dance professionals.
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14 Sat 20:30 (45')
CUIR*
ARNO FERRERA & GILLES POLET, Belgium
CUIR is a duet on the notions of traction and attraction. In a powerful body-to-body confrontation, two harnessed men play at manipulating each other’s bodies. The cautious pleasure they take in transforming each other into an instrument, an apparatus, a playground or a battlefield engages them in a struggle with mutual consent. Between traction and attraction, they do not aim for power over the other, but rather power with the other.
Arno Ferrera graduated in Physical Theatre from the Scuola Teatro Dimitri in Switzerland, after practising gymnastics for ten years and studying Baroque music for six years at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana (CSI). He chose Brussels as his base and enriched his physical training with contemporary dance in the Belgian capital. He took part in the European tour of Holiday on Stage by Martin Schick and Damir Todorovic. He then participated in the creation of the Swiss company Opera Retablo’s production Vanity: I Hate This Job. Since 2018, he has been the artistic director of the Belgian company Kind Bull, alongside Amaury Vanderborght. Their work focuses on creating artistic projects within closed environments, such as psychiatric hospitals and prisons. He has developed research around instinctive movement, combined with an analysis of animal motor skills. In 2015, he joined the company Un Loup pour l’Homme, performing in the show Face Nord and later contributing to the creation of Rare Birds. In 2018, he began developing the new project Cuir. In 2023, Cuir left the company Un Loup pour l’Homme to join Les Halles de Schaerbeek in Brussels, where Arno Ferrera is an associate artist from 2023 to 2028.
Gilles Polet (1984) first trained as an actor at the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven before moving to Leeds to study at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. He graduated from P.A.R.T.S. in Brussels in 2008. Since graduating, his work has ranged from opera — with Deborah Warner at La Monnaie in Brussels — to short films with directors Dimitri Karakatsanis, Andrew Ly, and Kevin Calero. His solo Jack-in-the-Box has been performed worldwide, at venues in Hong Kong, Tehran, Berlin, and beyond. While travelling through Iran, Gilles Polet encountered Sufism, which inspired his next solo, Simurgh, exploring the intricate links between Sufi culture in Iran and Western club culture. He collaborated for ten years with Troubleyn/Jan Fabre, including in the re-enactments This is Theatre Like It Was to Be Expected and Foreseen and The Power of Theatrical Madness, in which he played the role of the emperor. He also performed in Mount Olympus: To Glorify the Cult of Tragedy, a 24h Performance by Troubleyn/Jan Fabre. In 2020, he focused on his career as a yoga teacher and created his own outdoor yoga app, YOGING. He joined the team of CUIR in June 2021.
Tickets: €8 (€30 for all performances)
Free entrance to students, soldiers, pensioners, PWD cardholders and dance professionals.
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16 Mon 20:30 (50’)
FOLKLORE DYNAMICS*
VIDAVÈ Company / Noemi Dalla Vecchia & Matteo Vignali, Italy
“A language is a dialect with an army and a flag.”
With this formula, first the sociolinguist Weinreich and later Quirk described the influence of a country’s socio-political situation on smaller communities. Similarly, Folklore Dynamics, through its research on Italian dialects — metaphors for values that seem to be vanishing in today’s society — amplifies the voices of choreographers in protest against political power. Instinct, humility, passion, and hard work all converge in a country’s folklore, where diverse identities foster a powerful sense of collectiveness. Five performers square up to a dominant voice that seeks only approval and unquestioned consensus, reminding them what it means to have no chance at resistance. Yet these identities endure. The choreography captures their sincere expressions and emotions, their astute codes of communication, and underscores their anti-conformist political intent.
In 2019, Matteo Vignali and Noemi Dalla Vecchia founded VIDAVÈ, and they have been working nationally and internationally on productions that emphasise a consistent, contaminated movement style and rich micro-dramaturgical choreographies. They attended the NGC Course of AterBalletto and the Pioneer Project of Korzo from 2021 to 2023. With Another With You, produced by DanceHausPIÚ and DanceGallery, they won WhatWeAre and Prospettiva Danza Teatro 2021, making their debut at the National Theatre of Vicenza and, on the European stage, at TanzArt OstWest in Giessen. In 2022, in collaboration with Scenario Pubblico, they created Hansel&Gretel Alteration, which premiered at the National Theatre Fontana in Milan, and was performed at festivals such as Istanbul Fringe Festival and 10Sentidos, earning awards including Linkage, SoloTanz, and Tanzplattform Bern. In 2023, they created Spoken Dance, divided into two pieces: Choreographic Figures, winner of the Residanza Award 2023, which premiered at Teatro Mercadante, and Stimmung, supported by Centro Coreográfico Canal and Festival Primavera dei Teatri. In 2024, they won the Biennale Danza Award with Folklore Dynamics.
Tickets: €8 (€30 for all performances)
Free entrance to students, soldiers, pensioners, PWD cardholders and dance professionals.
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18 Wed 20:30 (60’)
He aquí un acto romántico (Behold a romantic act)*
RICHARD MASCHERIN, Spain
What ends, and what begins, with an accident? What hurts more — a punch in the nose or a kiss on the lips? Is hating another way of loving? Do you want me to give myself to you? Would you still love me if I didn’t need you? Can I fall over with you? What is a romantic act? The piece works with both physical and emotional falls to create a map of uprooted bodies thrown into the void. Displaying a tense physicality and a cinematic atmosphere, the piece revolves around three victims who assume — in a ceremonial mood — a spiral of violent situations, turning accidents and provocations, attachments and detachments into a sacred rite of passage toward transcendence. Their passionate surrender has two sides: on the one hand, it intoxicates and endangers; on the other, it strengthens and vivifies — as no one can rise from the ground without first having fallen into it. Behold the statement of an unbroken soul. Behold a heroic resistance. Behold a romantic act.
Richard Mascherin is a Spanish artist focusing on contemporary performing arts and audiovisuals. He graduated in Madrid in Contemporary Dance, General Film Direction, and Film and TV Stunts. As a dancer, he has worked with various companies such as Sharon Fridman and La Veronal, among others. In some way, the concept of falling has been present throughout his career — both as a performer and as a creator — since 2015. He leads his own project, which branches out into different forms and stage proposals, where the inevitability of the fall is the core concept of his research and creative process. The project explores and connects various media: dance, performance, video, and photography. Richard has choreographed several works, including Caer, Caer, Caer (Fall, fall, fall), Vacío Espiritual (Spiritual Void), and He Aquí Un Acto Romántico (Behold a Romantic Act), which have been presented at major festivals in Spain, as well as in Italy and Bulgaria.
Tickets: €8 (€30 for all performances)
Free entrance to students, soldiers, pensioners, PWD cardholders and dance professionals.
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20 Fri 20:30 (45’)
BIRDBOY*
EMMA MARTIN / UNITED FALL, Ireland
Birdboy is a tribute to all the weird kids left on the sidelines. Using the metaphor of a bird and its perceived freedom, the piece burrows into the chaotic and vivid inner world of someone who doesn’t fit in. Seen through a child’s eyes and combining dance, sound, and objects, Birdboy is a journey through a frenzied and sometimes beautiful landscape of fear, isolation, fantasy, and letting go, performed by dancer Kévin Coquelard. Birdboy is the first work Emma has created for both young and adult audiences.
Emma Martin started out as a ballet dancer. She creates multidisciplinary work that has expanded into film, installation, opera, and theatre. Her work is sweaty, messy, music-heavy, and human — exploring the friction between rawness and delicacy, high art and popular culture, past and future, order and chaos, homage and intent. She graduated from the John Cranko School in Stuttgart and holds a BA in Russian and Drama & Theatre Studies from Trinity College Dublin. As a choreographer, she created her first show in 2010 and has been producing work through her company United Fall since 2018. Her previous performance works include King/Shrine, Night Dances, Birdboy, Orfeo ed Euridice, Girl Song, Dancehall, and Tundra. Her work has been presented nationally and internationally, touring throughout Europe and the UK. Emma is an associate artist at the Visual Centre for Contemporary Art and Dance Ireland, and an Aerowaves 2023 selected artist. United Fall is based in County Carlow and is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, with international touring generously supported by Culture Ireland.
Tickets: €8 (€30 for all performances)
Free entrance to students, soldiers, pensioners, PWD cardholders and dance professionals.
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22 Sun 20:30 (75’)
SONOMA*
MARCOS MORAU / LA VERONAL, Spain
The word Sonoma does not officially exist in Spanish, but it could stem from the Greek soma (body) or the Latin sonum (sound): the sound of the body, or the body of sound. Today, history moves so fast we can barely follow it; we fall into it, shouting as if on a roller coaster. Sonoma is the sound of the body falling — the human rage to stay alive and awake. Marcos Morau revisits ideas from his 2016 piece Le Surréalisme au service de la Révolution, inspired by Buñuel, whose life bridged medieval Calanda and cosmopolitan Paris, faith and surrealist freedom. Sonoma represents a return to the body, to organic matter, journeying through dreams and fiction, where the familiar becomes strange and meaning dissolves. In an indigenous language, Sonoma means "valley of the moon" — a place of drums and cries that soothe rather than overwhelm. It is a scream at the limits of existence.
Marcos Morau (Valencia, 1982) trained in photography, movement, and theatre between Valencia, Barcelona, and New York. He creates imaginary worlds and landscapes with a sharp, lucid vision of contemporaneity. In 2004, he founded La Veronal, now one of Europe's leading dance companies. La Veronal has toured in more than 30 countries, performing at prestigious venues such as the Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris, the Festival d’Avignon, and Sadler’s Wells in London. Morau received Spain’s National Dance Prize in 2013, was named Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture, and was selected as Choreographer of the Year 2023 by Tanz magazine. Beyond his work with La Veronal, he collaborates with renowned companies such as Nederlands Dans Theater and the Ballet de l'Opéra de Lyon. Since 2023, he has been an associate artist at Staatsballett Berlin, pursuing new dialogues between dance, opera, and physical theatre.
Tickets: €8 (€30 for all performances)
Free entrance to students, soldiers, pensioners, PWD cardholders and dance professionals.
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*Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival 2025
Organised by: Deputy Ministry of Culture (Department of Contemporary Culture) and Rialto Theatre.
July 2025
9 Wed 21:00 (50’)
ILAND - Ody Icon & Alejjos
Associate Artist Residence Scheme 2025
Every person is an island. A crack in time, a pause that makes space for new beginnings.
A singular topography in the archipelago of human experience.
ILAND, a music performance by Cypriot artist ody icon, in collaboration with music producer Alejjo and video artist Diyala Muir, premieres on the stage of Rialto Theatre on July 9th in the frame of the Rialto’s Associate Artist Residence Scheme 2025.
Inspired by the unique geography and layered history of Cyprus, and drawing from the thought of pioneering philosopher Gilles Deleuze, ILAND explores the idea of the island not as a place surrounded by sea, but as a possibility for connection.
We are islands drifting in the same archipelago — each carrying its own fractures, silences, and hopes. Its own nature, its own cute gestures. Its own language. And within this distance, the need to build bridges arises — not from lack, but from love.
ILAND is more than a musical experience. Through electronic soundscapes, folk and traditional songs, spoken word, and animation, it becomes a journey toward community. Where love is not a slogan but a form of resistance to estrangement — an opening to the shared. A hymn to the possibility of coexistence.
ILAND is dedicated to the Palestinian people and to all those who struggle for freedom, autonomy, and a life of dignity.
Concept – Idea – Artistic Direction: ody icon
Music production: Alejjos
Animation – Video Art: Diyala Muir
Text - Dramaturgy: ody icon
Light design: Vasilis Petinaris
Costume design: Froso Christou
On stage: ody icon, Alejjos
12 Sat 21:00 (120’)
MONIKA
The radiant and unique singer-songwriter Monika, who has gained significant recognition both in Greece and internationally, returns to the stage of Rialto on Saturday, July 12 with an all-English acoustic concert. This special performance will include everything we have loved about her since her first appearance in the music scene. She will present a different kind of show, accompanied by five musicians and her beautiful songs.
Monika will be joined by a string section (cello, violin), an acoustic guitar, and two exceptional vocalists, while she herself will play the guitar, saxophone, and piano. The program will feature both new and older beloved songs from her previous albums, presented in new arrangements. Starting from "Avatar" and stopping at various tracks from her most recent album, "Proud," as well as selections from her three other English-language releases, Monika will offer us, with her smile, talent, and generous stage presence, two full hours of wonderful music, emotion, and sharing. Because above all, her deepest desire is to share her musical journey with the audience and to offer peace and support.
Monika stated: "The most beautiful journey is the one that is gifted to you through a song. Whether you close your eyes and let the melody carry you away, or you look around, feel moved, sing or dance, or keep the rhythm with your hands alongside your loved ones, you always gain the most precious gift of any journey—change. And afterward, everything is clearer. More beautiful. Meaningful."
With her wonderful melodies prevailing above all, and lyrics that capture with poetic tenderness all the emotions, thoughts, and messages she wants to convey, Monika promises us a cinematic journey full of emotion and rhythm. She invites us all to meet there "to travel far through music and songs, and to return even slightly changed and more real."
Performing musicians: Aris Zervas - cello Stametella Spinoula – violin, Giorgos Kapis - acoustic guitar, Leto Abatzi, Katerina Sousoula - vocals
Takis Spyropoulos: sound engineer | Panagiotis Tsevrenis: lighting
Management/Production: Prospero / Katerina Stamataki
Press Contact: Chara Zouma / Zuma Communications
14 Mon 21:00 (70’)
Eleonora Roussou – Hará*
As suggested by its name, album “Hará” (Joy) is a collection of instrumental compositions and songs inspired by human emotions - their structure, their capacity, their effectiveness. A colourful palette of genres are fused together - jazz soul, classical, Easter Mediterranean, Balkan, pop and latin music - to depict the diversity of each emotion. The creative impetus of this project is transparency sharing and openness, so these compositions are a moving amalgamation of life lived so far.
Hará has performed at important music festivals of Cyprus, such as the Jazz and World Music Showcase, the ΑγλανJazz Festival, the Wincraft Wind Festival (Katydata) and at the 6th Nicosia International Festival in January 2025, where the full album was presented. The digital album is available on Bandcamp.
Musicians:
Elias Ioannou – trumpet, Thomas Lumley - tenor saxophone
Odysseas Toumazou – Guitar, Christos Yerolatsitis – Piano, Andreas Rodosthenous – Bass, Omiros Miltiadous – Drums, Rodos Panagiotou – Percussion,
Eleonora Roussou - Voice, Flute, Compositions, Arrangements
Free Entrance
16 Wed 21:00 (75’)
Cyprus, the Beloved of the Mediterranean
Michalis Kouloumis*
Under the artistic direction of acclaimed violinist and composer Michalis Kouloumis, five accomplished Cypriot musicians from the folk and jazz scenes have collaborated to reinterpret traditional Cypriot folk music, alongside original compositions by Kouloumis.
Featuring:
Michalis Kouloumis – violin, viola, voice
Kyriakos Markoullis – lute, pithkiavlin, voice
Petroula Erodotou – voice, percussion
Ermis Michael – jazz guitar
Christos Yerolatsitis – piano, keyboard
Free entrance
18 Fri 21:00 (120’)
Giorgos Papageorgiou and Polkar*
With humour, heart and a wild mix of styles, Giorgos Papageorgiou and his band Polkar take the stage at the Rialto’s World Music Festival with a refreshingly entertaining and offbeat concert.
Expect a high-energy mix of original songs and unexpected covers that blend various genres in equal measure.
Polkar consists of musicians:
Giorgos Papageorgiou: vocals, ukulele
Giannis Kyratsos: guitars
Giorgos Avramidis: trumpet
Giannis Bellos: bass
Alexis Archontis: drums
Tasos Korkovelos: keys, programming
Free Entrance
19 Sat 10:30 (90’) 4+
Kamila kamilari na pame sta Varosia (On Stage)
An activity for children and their parents
Learning, singing and illustrating traditional children’s songs of my homeland: an activity designed for children and their parents, aiming to encourage creative expression through music and art, and to inspire children to further explore the cultural heritage of their land in a playful and educational manner.
Accompanied by the music group ANTAMA and educator Anna Aristidou, children will discover traditional musical instruments through interactive music games. Participants will also have the chance to creatively express their impressions of this musical journey using their imagination. Visual artist and facilitator Irene Zenonos will then invite children and their parents to illustrate scenes inspired by these traditional songs.
In Greek.
For registrations, please contact 77777745 / ntiac@rialto.com.cy.
Free entrance
September 2025
5 Fri 20:30 (103‘)
The Marching Band (En Fanfare) - Emmanuel Courcol (FR 2024)
Following the success of his film The Big Hit, which won the Best Comedy Award from the European Film Academy, screenwriter-director Emmanuel Courcol returns with his delightful new feature, a story about two brothers separated by fate but reunited through music.
The film premiered in the Cannes Premiere section of Cannes Film Festival, and went on to screen at prestigious festivals, earning accolades such as the Audience Award at both the San Sebastián Festival and Cinemania Festival in Montreal. It has been nominated for seven César Awards, including Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Performance for all three leads, Best Editing, and Best Sound.
Synopsis: Thibault is an internationally acclaimed orchestra conductor. When he is faced with a health issue, he discovers that he was adopted and has a younger brother living in the countryside. His brother, Jimmy, works in a school cafeteria and plays the trombone in the local brass band. He is the pride and hope of a working-class community threatened by unemployment. Although the two brothers appear to have little in common apart from their shared love of music, when Thibault recognises his brother’s remarkable talent, he sets out to right the wrongs of fate and help him realise his full potential.
With his third feature film, Emmanuel Courcol confirms himself as a masterful filmmaker, armed with a superb script and two outstanding lead performances. Once again, he skilfully balances comedy and drama, never losing sight of the social dimension of his story. He sheds light not only on the glittering concert halls but also on the provincial factories on the verge of closure, threatening entire communities. As in his previous film, The Big Hit, Courcol masterfully brings to life not only two unique characters—brothers trying to make up for a lifetime spent apart—but also two different worlds, two different social classes, which ultimately transcend their divisions through the transformative power of music and the universal language of great art.
Greek and English subtitles.
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7 Sun 20:30 (118’)
There’s Still Tomorrow (C'è ancora domani)
Paola Cortellesi (ITA, 2023) 12+
Paola Cortellesi’s directorial debut, where she also takes on the lead, broke box office records wherever it was screened. The film won both the Audience Award and the Jury Prize at the Rome Film Festival, earned six David di Donatello Awards, and was voted “Film of the Year” by the Italian Film Critics Association. Among other accolades, it also received the Audience Award for Best International Film at the Göteborg Film Festival.
Synopsis: In the tradition of classic black-and-white Italian comedies, this film tells the story of Delia, a poor woman struggling to raise her three children under harsh conditions in post-war Italy. Delia and her husband Ivano live in Rome with their children and Ivano’s ailing father. It is 1946, and the people of the city are caught between the first signs of freedom and the lingering shadows of the past.
Delia is the archetype of the caregiving woman, accustomed to life under her tyrannical husband. The family is excited about their daughter’s upcoming engagement. But everything changes when Delia receives a mysterious letter that rekindles her courage and leads her to reclaim a better life.
Inspired by the stories of grandmothers and great-grandmothers.
Reviews:
“A film for all the women who never stopped singing (even with their mouths closed).” – Cinematographe.IT
“Bold, with precision ideas and a powerful, clear message.” – Cineuropa
“A touching and timely film that will resonate with every woman.” – Premiere
“Neorealist rock!” – Movie
“Sweet and captivating.” – The Hollywood Reporter
“A delightful surprise.” – Wired
“Directed with a vivacity lit by moments of unrestrained joy, tinged with a near-burlesque irony.” – Le Monde
“A story about all the small victories on the path to female empowerment.” – Screen Daily
“The Italian phenomenon… the film that beat ‘Barbie’ at the Italian Box Office and became the most successful ever by a female director.” – BBC
Directed by: Paola Cortellesi
Written by: Furio Andreotti, Giulia Calenda, Paola Cortellesi
Cast: Paola Cortellesi, Valerio Mastandrea, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Emanuela Fanelli
Greek subtitles
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9 Tue 20:30 (105‘)
Kyuka: Before Summer's End - Kostis Charamountanis (GR 2024)
Official Selection – ACID | Cannes Film Festival 2024
Awards at Thessaloniki Film Festival 2024: Finos Film Award | Audience Award – Film Forward | EKOME Emerging Director Award | Best Film – Youth Jury Award
In his feature debut, Kostis Charamountanis creates a film shaped by the sea and love, infused with humour and drawn from the sweetest of summer memories.
Synopsis: A father and his adult twin children set sail for the island of Poros for their summer holidays aboard the family sailboat. Unbeknownst to them, the siblings encounter their biological mother, who had abandoned them when they were babies. This unexpected meeting unfolds into a bittersweet coming-of-age story for everyone involved.
Director’s Note:
“Kyuka – Before Summer’s End is the second part of a trilogy that began with my 2018 short film Kioku – Before Summer Comes. Inspired by a blend of ideas and real-life experiences, the film draws in part from my childhood memories of family holidays aboard a small sailboat on the Greek island of Poros. The confined space of the boat often led to tension, but within that dynamic, humour and love gave rise to a bittersweet nostalgia for those summers. At its core, the film explores the complexities of family relationships, delving into the bonds between parents and children, as well as the love between siblings. It reflects on how parental love, though protective, can sometimes become stifling or even toxic. It also raises questions about the nature of coming of age and what moments in life can bring it about, regardless of one’s biological age.”
Written and directed by: Kostis Charamountanis
Cinematography: Konstantinos Koukoulios
Editing: Kostis Charamountanis, Lambis Charalambidis
Cast: Symeon Tsakiris, Elsa Lekakou, Konstantinos Georgopoulos, Elena Topalidou, Afroditi Kapokaki, Stathis Apostolou, Ioli Kalaitzi, Chrysi Vidalaki
English subtitles
Tickets: €8
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10 Wed 20:30 (87‘)
The Mohican (Le Mohican) - Frederic Farrucci (FR 2024) 12+
The French film premiered in the official Orizzonti Extra section of the Venice Film Festival, competed in the Official Competition of Stockholm Film Festival, was the closing film of Montpellier Festival, and was also screened at the Cinemania Festival in Montreal. In Greece, it was presented at Thessaloniki International Film Festival, where it received the Fischer Audience Award – Meet the Neighbors+.
Cast: Alexis Manenti and emerging actress Mara Taquin.
Synopsis: Joseph, one of the last goat herders in Corsica, receives a visit from the mafia, who want to seize his land for tourism development. Despite their threats, he refuses to yield. His life is in danger, and during a confrontation, he unintentionally kills the man threatening him. Forced to flee, Joseph becomes a fugitive on his own island, hunted by the mafia seeking revenge. The manhunt unfolds in the heat of summer in northern Corsica, as Joseph seeks help to survive. As the days pass, word of his actions spreads, thanks to his niece Vannina, and locals begin to hail him as a hero of resistance against the island’s exploitation.
Corsican-born Frédéric Farucci impresses with his restrained, sharply focused storytelling that flirts with both genre cinema and documentary realism. He makes masterful use of the sun-drenched island landscape to craft a neo-Western with clear political undertones, while simultaneously drawing an existential portrait of a solitary man standing against a ruthless new era, choosing to live by his own moral code until the very end.
Director’s Note:
“In 2017, I made a documentary about a shepherd working along the southern coast of Corsica. He was deeply troubled, as his goats grazed on land that others intended to develop into golf courses, hotels, or luxury villas; projects that would transform the terrain into uniform private estates, attracting the wealthy during the summer months and turning the area into a ghost town in winter. He saw himself as an outsider in his own region, a sort of “last of the Mohicans,” and could already foresee the day, not far off, when someone would come to evict him by buying out his land. I feel that in Corsica, there exists a kind of frontier: a 300-metre coastal strip where cultures clash and land ownership becomes the central stake. I often think of my home island as the backdrop to a modern western, where outlaws rule and rights seem non-existent, the law unenforced. That is why it felt natural for me to embrace this genre: a visually powerful way to explore a situation that extends far beyond Corsica’s shores.”
With Greek and English subtitles.
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12 Fri 20:30 (80’)
Dog on Trial (Le Procès du Chien)
Laetitia Dosch (ΕΗ FR 2024) 12+
A courtroom comedy with an unexpected twist, where a dog is put on trial for nothing more than being himself. The film won the Palm Dog Award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and was screened at numerous international festivals, including the most recent Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
Synopsis: In this strikingly original film, a blend of slapstick humour and philosophical satire that would make Luis Buñuel feel truly proud, Avril, an independent lawyer known for taking on impossible cases, decides to defend a dog! A lively and entertaining courtroom drama unfolds, where a dog’s life hangs by a thread.
With a dynamic ensemble cast, the film raises thought-provoking questions about our relationship with animals, all orchestrated by one of the most talented actors of her generation, Lætitia Dosch.
Are dogs legally considered “objects” belonging to their “owners,” as defined by Swiss law? Why is a dog that bites someone automatically sentenced to euthanasia, without taking into account its circumstances or its nature? Can we only coexist with animals when they are submissive and obedient? Might love and respect for animals not always go hand in hand? And, ultimately, what does the dog think about all this?
Dog on Trial tackles numerous urgent questions with freshness, humour, and emotional depth. An unpredictable courtroom comedy without a leash, where everything is decided… in a bark!
Directed by: Lætitia Dosch
Written by: Lætitia Dosch, Anne-Sophie Bailly
Cast: Lætitia Dosch, François Damiens, Anne Dorval, Jean-Pascal Zadi, and Conti the dog
Greek subtitles.
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14 Sun 17:00 (60’)
Franz Kafka’s Doll - HumArts (4+)
The creative team behind the successful “STILL! – A statue that travelled the world” returns three years later, with its new production. In “Franz Kafka’s Doll”, the team attempts to transport us to the magical world of a – possibly – true story, filled with emotion. A story that reminds us that “what we love will probably be lost, but love will return in another way…”.
Berlin, Autumn 1923. In a park, somewhere in the city, a girl cries inconsolably because she lost her doll. There, she meets the famous writer Franz Kafka, who reassures her, telling her that her doll was not lost, but left for a long journey, to get to know the world. From that day on, the girl receives through Kafka the letters her doll sends her, describing her adventures from every corner of the world… and beyond!
A performance full of images, music and humour.
Suitable for children from 4 years old.
Director: Kostas Silvestros
Dramaturgy/script/lyrics: Stavros Stavrou
Music composition: Thodoris Economou
Set/costume design: Constantina Andreou
Lighting design: Vassilis Petinaris
Choreography & Movement: Alex Kyriazis
Multimedia design: Anna Fotiadou
Make-up: Giorgos Vavanos
Vocal coaching: Christina Tselepou
Assistant director: Andri Eracleous
Assistant set/costume designer: Iphigenia Avraam
Photography: Dimitris Loutsios
Cast: Christina Papadopoulou, Anthony Papamichael, Andreas Koutsoftas, Anthi Kasinou, Rafaella Kavazi
Dancer: Giannis Economides
On-stage musician: Andreas Michalopoulos
Production: Humart, Production Management: Stavros Stavrou
Main sponsor: Deputy Ministry of Culture, Sponsor: MusicEra
Duration: 60'
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15 Mon 19:30 (90’)
Hernan Romero & Friends
Progressive Fusion Project (European tour)
AV Music Empire & Romero Music proudly present an exclusive musical event featuring Hernan Romero, world-renowned Argentinian/ American virtuoso guitarist, composer and producer!
Grammy & Emmy Award-winner, Hernan Romero will be accompanied by a group of international and local professional musicians as well as by a couple of inspirational Tango champions.
Welcome on stage:
Hernan Romero (Argentina/USA) on guitar & vocal
Chamber Ensemble Astoria (Cyprus) - strings
Rodrigo G Pahlen (Uruguay/Barcellona) - piano
Rodrigo Caceres (Chile/Cyprus) - bass
Rodos Panayiotou (Cyprus) - percussion
Mariza Anastasiades (Cyprus) - Soprano
1st Prize Concours de musique du Canada
Grand Prix at Stojanov-Gančev Competition
Sophie Chatzi & Grigoris Adamidis (Cyprus) - Argentine tango dancers
Champions -Tango Acropolis, Greece
3rd Place - Italian Cup | Semi Finals - Mundial World Tango Cup, Argentina
A close collaborator of the legendary guitarist Al Di Meola, Hernan Romero has imbued classical jazz, latin and gypsy flamenco with the musical traditions of the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
We are thrilled to introduce you to the extraordinary world of Romero, a virtuoso guitarist, composer, and producer who promises to take you on an unforgettable journey of the senses! With a progressive sound brimming with musical surprises, his work is a stunning fusion of passion and beauty that is simply not to be missed.
The son of the legendary Lifetime Grammy Award winner Estela Raval, he was surrounded by the finest musical influences from an early age. This foundation paved the way for collaborations with some of the world's most celebrated artists, including Alicia Keys on the "Rear View Mirror" soundtrack for Dr. Dolittle, as well as guitar legends Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia, and John McLaughlin.
Notably, "Un Segundo Una Vida," a Grammy-winning Best Surround Recording, elevates his flamenco and Latin-based jazz to new heights with intricate orchestration and compelling vocals. His album "Duende" not only captivated listeners but also hit number 6 on the Billboard charts (World Music).
Romero continues to inspire and enchant audiences worldwide with his vibrant and exhilarating sound. In Cyprus he will be joined on stage by local and international artists to create a unique performance like never before.
We invite you to experience the magic of Romero's music and join us in celebrating an artist whose work is sure to influence aspiring musicians for generations to come!
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17 Wed 20:00 (150’)
Elio D’Anna Live in Cyprus - Limassol Book Fair
For the first time in Cyprus, visionary thinker, best-selling author, philosopher, and founder of the European School of Economics, Elio D’ Anna, takes the stage.
Author of the best seller “The School for Gods”, Elio D’ Anna is known worldwide for his bold ideas on leadership, inner economy, and the power of dreaming.
Join us for an unforgettable live event, featuring an inspiring keynote and an open Q&A with the audience.
The event will be held in English, with simultaneous subtitling available in all languages.
Organisation: Limassol Book Fair. In Collaboration with the Rialto Theatre
Balcony Tickets €50 - Balcony seats at Rialto Theatre
Normal Tickets €80 - Arena seats at Rialto Theatre
VIP Early Bird €200 (includes VIP seats and dinner with Elio D’ Anna
27 Sat 20:30 & 28 Sun 18:30 & 20:30 (45‘)
ODE – Elena Antoniou
A performance by Elena Antoniou in collaboration with Maria Spivak.
Choreographer-performer Elena Antoniou and musician Maria Spivak meet on stage for the first time in ODE. Following LANDSCAPE—which continues, for a third consecutive year, to travel across European festivals with the support of Onassis Stegi—the new chorographic work traces a path that shifts the gaze, the space, the time, and the relationship with the spectator.
In ODE, the two artists redefine each institutional venue as a field of attunement, standing at the threshold where rupture meets rebirth. The gaze becomes a force — it does not divide, but sees with an eroticism that longs to draw near, to unite. Vulnerability becomes a passage to another kind of strength. Hierarchies and roles recede. Presence asserts itself: becomes sound, movement turns to vibration, and coexistence becomes an act of re-claiming space.
ODE is a powerful, melodic, dense state — an act of embodied poetry. A gesture of transition: from dominance to a language of elevation. As Audre Lorde reminds us: “Your silence will not protect you."
Concept/ Choreography/ Performance: ELENA ANTONIOU
Music/ Performance: MARIA SPIVAK
Dramaturgy: ODYSSEAS I. KONSTANTINOU
Art Direction: CHRISTOS KYRIAKIDES
Lighting Design: VASILIS PETINARIS
Photography & Graphics: SAINT
Production Coordination: LOUKIA VASSILIOU
The performance is produced within the frame of the "Terpsichore" programme of the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture.
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October 2025
2 Thu 20:00 (60’)
PΙΑΝΟ QUARTET Brahms & Mahler I CySO -Chamber Music 1
The distinguished CySO violinist Ayşe Karaoğlan and cellist Pinar Bayraktar, long-standing chamber music partners, are now turning their artistic curiosity towards the piano quartet repertoire. To embark on this new journey, they join forces with two exceptional musicians: CySO’s sub-principal violist Vladimir Tkachenko and the brilliant Cypriot pianist Manolis Neophytou.
Sharing a deep love for Brahms, their programme starts with his Piano quartet no. 3 in C minor composed in 1875 — a piece with a fascinating connection to the composer’s life. Brahms famously described it with dark emotional imagery, writing to his publisher: “Imagine a man who is about to shoot himself because nothing else remains to him.” This vivid sentiment reflects the quartet’s turbulent emotional landscape - rooted in Brahms’ deep inner conflict between pain for the mental illness of his friend Robert Schumann and his own love for his wife, Clara Schumann.
Just one year later, in 1876, the 15 year-old Gustav Mahler, then student at Vienna Conservatory, composed his Piano quartet in A minor. There is a foreboding darkness and intensity of emotion in this very early work, whereby one can hear echoes of the music of Schumann and Brahms.
Johannes Brahms: Piano quartet no. 3 in C minor, op. 60
Gustav Mahler: Piano quartet in A minor
Ayşe Karaoğlan violin
Vladimir Tkachenko viola
Pinar Bayraktar cello
Manolis Neophytou piano
Supporters: Rialto Theatre
4 Sat 20:30 (50’) (16+)
NECROPOLIS - Arkadi Zaides / On Stage
Open House Festival Ι Dance House Lemesos
Since 1993, UNITED for Intercultural Action, a network of hundreds of anti-racist organizations from all over Europe, has been compiling a list of refugees and migrants who lost their lives on their way to the continent. As of June 2025, when the latest updated version was released, the list included information on 66,519 reported deaths. The total toll is certainly much higher, as many people are neither found nor registered. When scrolling through the many pages of the list one cannot ignore the fact that only a very small number of the deceased are mentioned by name, leaving the vast majority without identifying details.
NECROPOLIS is an ongoing choreographic and documentary work about unknown bodies - a poignant reflection on the ongoing human tragedy at Europe's borders. By integrating data analysis, choreographic gestures, and documentary practices, Arkadi Zaides and his team delve into the practice of forensics to conceive a new virtual depository mapping the remains of the many whose deaths remain to this day mostly unacknowledged. This archive, revealing a cartography made invisible, stretches across space and time, weaving together the mythologies, histories, geographies and anatomies of those who have found their way to NECROPOLIS. Although there are no bodies to dance with in the city of the dead, it is precisely this absence - the collective body of NECROPOLIS - that Zaides brings to life.
Concept & direction: Arkadi Zaides
Dramaturgy, text and voice: Igor Dobricic
Research assistant: Emma Gioia
Performers: Arkadi Zaides, Emma Gioia
Sculpture: Moran Sanderovich
3D modeling: Mark Florquin
Avatar animation: Jean Hubert | Animation assistant: Thibaut Rostagnat
Light: Jan Mergaert
Sound design: Asli Kobaner
In English with Greek surtitles
5 Sun 20:30 (50’)
ILAND - Ody Icon & Alejjos
Rialto Associate Artist Residence Scheme 2025
Every person is an island. A fracture in time, a pause that makes way for a new beginning - a singular topography in the archipelago of human experience.
ILAND, a music performance by Cypriot artist ody icon, in collaboration with music producer Alejjo and video artist Diyala Muir, is being presented again at the Rialto Theatre.
Inspired by the unique geography and layered history of Cyprus, and the thought of philosopher Gilles Deleuze, the performance explores the island not as isolation, but as a possibility for connection.
We are islands floating in the same archipelago—bearing our own fractures, silences, hopes, gestures, and language. And within that distance, the need to build bridges arises—not from lack, but from love.
ILAND is a journey toward community. An act of resistance against estrangement. A hymn to the possibility of coexistence.
The performance is dedicated to the Palestinian people and to all those who struggle for freedom, autonomy, and dignity.
The performance will be presented with simultaneous interpretation in Greek Sign Language for deaf and hard of hearing people
Concept – Idea – Artistic Direction: ody icon (@odyicon)
Music production: Alejjos (@alejjos_)
Animation – Video Art: Diyala Muir (@diyala.muir)
Text - Dramaturgy: ody icon
Light design: Vasilis Petinaris (v_petinaris)
Costume design: Froso Christou (@itsfrosochristou)
On stage: ody icon, Alejjos
(K) 11 - 17 Sat – Fri 20:00
International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (18+)
The International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC) returns to the Rialto Theatre’s screen for its 15th edition, featuring dozens of short films directed by Cypriot and international filmmakers. Held under the artistic direction of Keti Papadima and Diomedes Koufteros, this year’s programme offers audiences a rich and multifaceted competition lineup, presenting fiction, animation, experimental and documentary films — all reflecting the creativity and vitality of both the local and global film scene.
Free parallel events and special screenings once again enrich the Festival’s programme, while the international intensive training workshop What’s the Story? Cyprus (13–17 October), organised in collaboration with Talents Generator Factory, provides guidance to selected directors and screenwriters from Cyprus and the wider Eastern Mediterranean region.
The Festival is an annual institutional event of the Deputy Ministry of Culture (Department of Contemporary Culture), co-organised with the Rialto Theatre.
With Greek and English subtitles
Tickets: €5 / Festival pass: €25
22 Wed 20:30 (130’)
Dr. Strangelove – National Theatre Live
Seven-time BAFTA Award-winner Steve Coogan plays four roles in the world premiere stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s comedy masterpiece Dr. Strangelove.
This explosively funny satire, about a rogue U.S General who triggers a nuclear attack, is led by a world-renowned creative team including Emmy Award-winner Armando Iannucci and Olivier Award-winner Sean Foley. Βroadcast live from National Theatre in London. With Greek and English subtitles.
A production from Patrick Myles and David Luff
Co-adapted by Armando Iannucci.
Co-adapted and directed by Sean Foley.
Director: Sean Foley
Βroadcast live from National Theatre in London.
With Greek and English subtitles.
23 Thu 20:30 (75’)
Aliki Kayaloglou inside Mikis Theodorakis galaxy (1925-2025)
Mesmerizing greek singer Aliki Kayaloglou, one of Mikis Theodorakis’ closest collaborators in Greece and abroad, brings his spirit and artistic genious to life, along with 3 of the composer’s most beloved musicians.
A magical musical reunion will take place on Rialto Theatre’s stage, in honor of one of the greatest composers of the 20th century worldwide. His 4 collaborators through decades of concerts, recordings, rehearsals and tours, will reveal and share mostly unknown and diverse musical aspects of his work.
Travelling inside Mikis Theodorakis’ galaxy of 77 cycles of songs (among many more monumental works such as Operas, Symphonies, Concertos etc), light will be shed on works which he chose to record with the expressive voice of Aliki Kayaloglou, as well as works which he always wished to see performed live.
Singer: Aliki Kayaloglou
Classical guitar: Dimitris Papangelidis
Piano: Nikos Platirachos
Violoncello: Mariliza Papadouri Papangelidi
Guest: Culture Movement «EpilogiI» Children’s Choir
Choir conductor: Korina Vasileiou
Artistic Direction: Dimitris Papangelidis
Organization / Production: Mariliza Papadouri Papangelidi
# People who lost their main home in July fires at Limassol are entitled to enter THIS concert for FREE. To reserve their seat they must call tel.+357 96 34 66 57 by 16/10/2025
24 Fri 20:30 (75’) On Stage
Which Europe – Michalis Papadopoulos Ι Antilogos Theatre
Michalis Papadopoulos play "Which Europe" (Poia Evropi) is a play that unfolds in the present day. The author sets the action inside a railway carriage stuck between the Omonia and Victoria stations in Athens.
Two sisters, Rosa and Elenia, two women around 50 years old, are on their way to their doctor in Ano Patissia. In the carriage we also have Andreas, a man around the same age as the women and Amzat, a Palestinian heading to Victoria Square to join a protest. Due to a breakdown, the train remains immobilized for a long period of time between the two stations. Confinement, uncertainty and the possibility that the train has stopped due to a terrorist attack will push the passengers into extreme situations. The time they will spend in the carriage will give them the chance to unfold their personal stories and their passions. By the time the train starts moving again, everything will have taken its course, their relationships will have been clarified and each of them will have gained a clearer picture of themselves.
"Which Europe" deals with the big dead ends of the modern European citizen: Racism and fascism that are gaining ground again. Unemployment which undermines dignity. The inner conflict of the person that cannot, or refuses, to reconcile their beliefs with their moral stance. The disappointment, the silence, the resignation. At a time where incidents of violence against the diverse are increasing, the play reminds us of our own personal responsibility for what happens around us. Our responsibility toward the future and our attitude toward life itself in general. The characters in the play are not strangers, they are familiar faces, friends, neighbors, ordinary people. They say things we have all "heard" before, but which we have rarely truly listened to. The play's characters believed what they said and they acted on it.
Author: Michalis Papadopoulos
Director: Neoklis Neokleous
Cast: Haris Kkolos, Melani Stelios, Fotis Fotiou, Christina Christofia
31 Fri 16:00 (15 hours)
1953 - Art Explora Festival
1953 is a dramaturgical exercise in three acts, grounded in the facticity of the present. It seeks to reimagine the Rialto Theatre as a unified, fluid space, dissolving the boundaries between stage and auditorium, insideand outside, day and night. From sunset to sunrise, the performance unfolds as a shifting landscape where the dramatized and the real are interwoven, transforming Rialto into a site of continuous mutation, through a counterpoint of actions, voices, and images.
Spanning 15 hours, from dusk to dawn, the work traces a path from the detail to the collective, confronting the very limits of theatrical experience in time. 1953, the year of birth of scenographer Valentino Joseph and of Julie the elephant, sets the coordinates for a composition that mobilizes numerous contributors through a wide spectrum of collaborations and technologicalmeans.
Concept / Direction: Christodoulos Panayiotou
With (among others): Valentino Joseph, Elena Topalidou, Stela Phyrogeni, Androula Kafa, Christina Vantzou, Limassol Philharmonic Orchestra, Giorgos Krasidis, Amalgamation Choir, Vasiliki Anastasiou, Alexandros Pissourios, Angelos Charalambous, Alexis Vassiliou, Nicolas Stylianou, Marios Konstantinou, Christina Olympiou, Mihalis Shammas, Loizos Olympios, Kristia Michael, Adonis Archontides, Sofronis Sofroniou, Andreas Antoniou.
Act One: 16:30–20:30 (31/10/2025)
Act Two: 20:30–22:30 (31/10/2025)
Act Three: 22:30–07:30 (31/10–1/11/2025)
Audience members may attend either part of the performance or the whole. Admission to all acts is free. Advance booking is required only for the central act (20:30–22:30). While access to the first and last chapters is open.
