My Grandmother Kyriakou returns to Nicosia stage
The touching life story of the iconic Cypriot singer Kyriakou Pelagia returns to the stage after an astonishing premiere in 2025. Blending theatre, live music and a documentary-style presentation, a unique performance unfolds about cultural heritage, womanhood and family history.
As told through the eyes of her granddaughter, Irene Pelagia, old archives and a live interview, the My Grandmother Kyriakou performance is a touching story about a woman Cyprus knows well. Her rise to fame, life in the village, her marriage, her knack for quick-witted tsiattista, and the impact her music had on Cypriot tradition come through in this production.
A co-production of the 2025 Nicosia International Festival and the Municipality of Paralimni, the performance returns to the Nicosia Municipal Theatre on March 18 and 19.
Beyond discovering lesser-known facts about Pelagia’s life, the execution of the performance left an impressive mark on its first viewers. Visual effects, live recording, archival interviews, live theatre and music and an interview with Irene shape this production.
Irene is the production’s musical director, supporting the text written by Andreas Nicolaides and the direction of Kleitos Kleitou, who brings together all these elements for one memorable show.
“Kyriakou’s life is not narrated as a conventional biography,” comment organisers, “but as a collective memory – a living voice that calls us to dance, to grieve and to celebrate, with the dignity, pride and bold spirit of an honest woman who began writing and singing traditional music later in life, at the age of 60, inspiring even the younger generations.”
My Grandmother Kyriakou
Documentary-theatre performance with live music, acting, and archival material on the life of Kyriakou Pelagia. March 18-19. Nicosia Municipal Theatre, Nicosia. 8.30pm. In Greek. https://www.more.com/cy-en/tickets/theater/i-giagia-mou-i-kyriakou