Letter

Paphos was indeed fortunate to be part of the Cyprus cultural scene this week at the Odeon Amphitheatre, firstly with Midas Touch’s presentation of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School production of Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and then the opening of the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama.

I am certain that everyone attending agree they have witnessed some truly superb performances. The Shakespeare was so lively and bright that it threw the gloom of world news into the background, leaving the audience applauding this youthful company with delight.

The Greek tragedies, opening to a full house with Sophocles’ Antigone presented by THOC in a three-hour production (without interval), may have seemed daunting to some but it was wonderfully interpreted and full of grand theatre that is rarely seen today.

The Festival’s second production, this time of Prometheus by Aeschylus as a ballet, by the Russian Ballet group Moscovia was nothing short of breathtaking. It attained heights generally reserved for major ballet companies with again a group of young dancers each excelling in their interpretation of the roles in this drama.

I must mention one person in this multi-talented company – Yuri Ostrovsky dancing the title role. His performance totally captivated his audience – he was truly outstanding.
I urge everyone to support the remaining productions in the Ancient Greek Drama Festival and the rest of this summer’s cultural scene for there are few places where you can see such a diversity of drama and talent.
Thank you, Paphos.

Chris Ekin-Wood,
Kissonerga, Paphos

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.