Fringe festival takes over Cyprus buffer zone this weekend

Çanta (Bag), a bi-lingual play in Greek and Turkish, will be performed on Saturday

CULTURE / FESTIVAL

The UN buffer zone in Lefkoşa is being transformed into an open-air stage for performing arts this weekend. On 18-19 October, the Home for Cooperation, located in the Ledra Palace buffer zone, will hold the island’s first Buffer Fringe Performing Arts event to celebrate art, fresh ideas and free thinking. 15 performances will be held on two separate stages in the Venetian Moat by Ledra Palace.

From 6pm each evening, audiences can enjoy live performances that encompass theatre, art and dance. The performers, drawn from across the island, will present shows in English, Turkish and Greek. Highlights include:

Ø       The Princess and the Pea [English. Atsas Stage, Saturday/Sunday 18.00]. Artist: Mateja Arhar. A Cypriot twist on this well-known fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen, word goes out that a prince from a rich kingdom is looking for a beautiful bride. Many seek his hand, but none live up to his dreams. So he and members of the royal family decide to pack their bags and leave the palace on a long journey, travelling all around the world in a limousine. After many months of searching, they reach Cyprus where they finally hope to find the right princess…

Ø       16 Dances [Garilis Stage, Saturday 19.45]. Artist: Arianna Economou. This performance explores the 9 RASA-S, that originate from as far back as 200 B.C. and remain the core of Indian Arts and Aesthetics.  John Cage has reshuffled the order of the RASA-S to Anger, Humour, Sorrow, the Heroic, the Odious, the Wondrous, Fear, the Erotic and Tranquility. 

Çanta / Τσάντα / Bag [Turkish, Greek, Garilis Stage, Saturday 23.00]. Artists: Oya Akin, Christos Krasidis. The play’s description simply says: “if your bag had a voice...”

Ø       Miss Margarida’s Way [English, Sunday, 19.10, Garilis Stage]. Artists: Marina Makri, Elena Kalinikou. An insanely excellent statement play by Roberto Athayde, Described as “inspiring, genius and edgy”, it’s about a teacher, the lovely and twisted Miss Margarida, whose only mission in life is to 'educate' her student.

See below for the full programme. You can buy tickets at the festival entrance or from the Home for Cooperation. The festival is being supported by grants from Iceland and Norway. 

Festival dates: Saturday 18-19 October 2014

Address:  Venetian Moat by Ledra Palace, Buffer Zone, Lefkoşa, Cyprus

Start time:  18.00

Entry: €7 per day / €10 both days

Info: Home 4 Cooperation or Facebook.com/BufferFringe