Nicosia festival brings Solomos' The Woman of Zakynthos to Erma Bookshop
The Nicosia International Festival stages a reading of Dionysios Solomos' The Woman of Zakynthos at Erma Bookshop & Literary Café on September 17 and 18.
The Nicosia International Festival (NIF) is continuing its new edition with a staged reading of Dionysios Solomos' The Woman of Zakynthos, as reported by Cyprus Mail. The performance leaves the big stage behind and moves to Erma Bookshop & Literary Café in old Nicosia on September 17 and 18.
Directed by Antigoni Gyra, the staged reading will be presented three times: at 8pm on the first night and twice on September 18, at 8pm and 11pm. Tickets cost €20 and the performance is in Greek.
Written in 1826, during the Greek War of Independence, The Woman of Zakynthos is one of the most significant works of modern Greek literature and among the most enigmatic and daring texts by Solomos. Through the first-person narration of a monk, the poet portrays an upper-class woman who embodies malice, intolerance and moral decay, directing her hatred towards the women refugees from Missolonghi, the struggling Greek nation and the revolutionary cause itself. Nearly two centuries later, the unfinished work continues to resist definitive interpretation while retaining a striking contemporary resonance.
Gyra, a director and choreographer, uses the text as a point of departure, weaving together excerpts from The Free Besieged and The Poisoned Woman with contemporary voices drawn from the creators' personal memories, texts by journalist Konstantinos Poulis, and original music by rapper Anser.
The two performers follow the rhythm of Solomos' language with their entire bodies, singing, shifting roles and guiding the audience through a journey between poetry, memory and storytelling both spoken and embodied. The result is a staged reading that transcends the act of reading itself, transforming into a performative event that resonates with the present day and illuminates, with both humour and sorrow, enduring questions of power, violence, injustice and human cruelty. The production was warmly received during its two runs in Athens.
What it means for residents
For those living in Nicosia, this is a chance to see a landmark of Greek literature staged in an intimate setting rather than a large theatre, with ticket prices and showtimes that suit an evening out in the old town. Booking ahead makes sense, especially for the late Friday performance.
- Practical details: the reading runs September 17 and 18 at Erma Bookshop & Literary Café, at 8pm and 11pm on the second night; tickets are €20 and the language is Greek.
- Getting there: the venue is in old Nicosia, so plan for parking and narrow streets if you drive, or use public transport and walk.
- Who it suits: anyone interested in Greek literature or contemporary performance, including non-Greek speakers who want to experience the staging and music.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
