Paphos in all its beauty

Even before the European Capital of Culture Pafos 2017 became an even bigger reason to show off the home of Aphrodite, Paphos was always a place of beauty and the city we all flocked to for high profile events.

So it is no surprise that an original musical has been composed around its beauty. The musical The Truth about Venus is based on interviews with people from Paphos, including locals, migrants and visitors. These interviews were part of an investigation to trace the beauty of the world while centralising on the city of Paphos. But the beauty is not only found in the city or the people who were involved in the process of finding it, it is the beauty of local faces, landscapes, animals and everyday activities.

Drawing on the work of the theatre company Rimini Protokoll, Shakespeare’s Venus and Adonis and the musical London Road by the National Theatre (UK), the performance tries to bring form through drama and music to the concept of beauty in stories and myths.

George Rodosthenous is an associate professor in theatre directing at Leeds University and combines his academic career with his work as an award-winning artist in music, cinematography and theatre to direct this new performance.

Music for the performance is by Dimitris Zavros, text by Stergios Mavrikis, costume design by Michalis Christodoulou and choreography by Ricardo Meneghini.

The Truth about Venus
Performance of the original composition based on interviews with people from Paphos. July 28-30. Almyra Spa, Paphos. 8.30pm and 10.30pm. €10. Tel: 26-955166

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