Following the warm response from audiences during the summer performances in Nicosia and Limassol, the Persona Theatre Group and Aeschylus’ “Seven Against Thebes” return with an additional performance on Wednesday, 2 September, at the Makarios III Amphitheatre of the School for the Blind in Nicosia, at 9:00 p.m.
In “Seven Against Thebes,” Aeschylus recounts the fratricidal conflict between the sons of Oedipus. Polyneices, leader of the Argive army, seeks to reclaim the throne from his usurping brother, Eteocles. And so the cycle of bloodshed begins its vicious course. War, under the pretext of revenge, gives birth to a new crime; violence breeds more violence, and blood thirsts for more blood. Brotherly blood. The myth intersects with the present, as history repeats itself without end. Human nature, in its desperate struggle for survival, destroys its own existence through atrocities and mutual slaughter. An eternal curse of blind self-destruction that seems to have no end.
Award-winning director Lea Maleni presents a contemporary and dynamic stage interpretation of the final tragedy of Aeschylus’ Theban cycle. Drawing on Myth, History and collective memory, the production engages in a dialogue with the present, focusing on fear, trauma and civil strife. In a world of endless fratricidal conflicts that perpetuate themselves, where the dividing lines between perpetrator and victim become increasingly blurred, an ensemble brings its voices together in a searing multicultural coexistence, searching for light amid the turmoil of war.
The production was created for the 29th International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama 2026 and was supported by the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute and the Deputy Ministry of Culture (Department of Contemporary Culture), who were also the co-organisers of the Festival.
For the purposes of the production, seven different languages are used, heard live on stage and forming an integral part of the dramaturgy. These include Arabic, Farsi, Somali, Hindi and Serbian — languages associated with countries and regions where war, civil conflict, displacement and collective trauma have left a deep and lasting imprint. The different languages do not function merely as a scenic or aesthetic element. They become the voices of people experiencing conflict, loss, fear and displacement, creating a shared space of memory and coexistence.
The performance lasts 75 minutes, is presented with Greek and English surtitles, and is suitable for audiences aged 12 and over.
WEDNESDAY, 2 SEPTEMBER 2026
ARCH. MAKARIOS III AMPHITHEATRE – SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND, NICOSIA
START TIME: 9:00 p.m.
🎟️ TICKETS: www.ticketmaster.com.cy
PERSONA THEATRE GROUP
SEVEN AGAINST THEBES
By Aeschylus
CREATIVE TEAM
Translation: Giorgos Blanas
Direction: Lea Maleni
Dramaturgical Adaptation: Elena Triantafyllopoulou & Lea Maleni
Set & Costume Design: Giorgos Giannou
Music: Spyros Kallivokas
Movement: Panayiotis Tofi
Lighting Design: Nikos Mylonas
Assistant Director: Katerina Papageorgiou
LANGUAGE COACHES
Kamal Eldin Salah – Arabic
Almas Aadan Abdulle – Somali
Raamaakrisshnan Nenmeli – Hindi
Afsaneh Fasihi & Maryam Edalati – Farsi
Dragana Konstantinou Markov – Serbian
CAST
Yiannis Karaoulis, Andreas Papamichalopoulos
Marina Mandri, Myrsini Christodoulou
Anna Yiagkiozi, Vasilis Michael
Semeli Kyriazi, Frederiki Tombazou
Antonis Akrιtos
CHILDREN
Solon Dellaporta, Damianos Kousiappas
MUSICIANS ON STAGE
Natasa Chatziandreou
Annita Skoutella
Photography: Pavlos Vrionides
• WITH ENGLISH AND GREEK SURTITLES
• SUITABLE FOR AUDIENCES AGED 12 AND OVER
• RUNNING TIME: 75 MINUTES
Photography: Pavlos Vrionides
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