The Nicosia International Festival 2025 unveils its first co-production with the Municipality of Paralimni: the theatrical performance My Grandmother Kyriakou, a moving celebration of heritage, identity and the enduring power of song.
A life that became collective memory
Based on the life and legacy of Kyriakou Pelagia, this new work by writer and actor Andreas Nicolaides is not a conventional biography. It is an ode to a woman who became an emblem of Cypriot song; a symbol of grace, courage and unfiltered honesty. Through the eyes of her granddaughter, musician Irini Pelagia, Kyriakou’s story unfolds as a tapestry of dance, pain, joy and resilience—echoing the shared experiences of an entire island.
The performance premieres on Thursday 4 December 2025, at 20:30, at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre, before travelling across Cyprus.
A woman who started at 60 and inspired generations
Kyriakou Pelagia began writing and performing traditional music at the age of sixty, proving that artistry knows no age and inspiration has no expiry date. Her songs, rooted in everyday truth, spoke to young and old alike.
The musical direction is led by her granddaughter, Irini Pelagia, who describes Kyriakou as the force that shaped her life:
She wasn’t just my grandmother. She was the reason I became who I am—both as a person and a musician.
Kyriakou’s famous couplet, “Young people, have fun, sing often—except when you’re sleeping,” becomes the heartbeat of the performance. Irini honours it, singing not only to remember her grandmother—but to keep her alive for all of us.
From research to stage: bringing Kyriakou’s world to life
The text is written by Andreas Nicolaides, whose work spans prose, theatre and screenwriting. His meticulous research and interviews with those who knew Kyriakou opened the door to what he describes as “a paradise”—a world filled with her voice, her couplets, and the emotional landscape of Cyprus itself.
“The more I entered her orchard, the more she appeared—generous, proud, and rooted in the richness of our land,” he notes.
A modern take on documentary theatre
My Grandmother Kyriakou embraces the techniques of contemporary documentary theatre—a form increasingly prominent across Europe. Blending interviews, memories, real documents and artistic interpretation, it creates a bridge between lived experience and stage performance, between truth and storytelling.
Tickets
Available at more.com and at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre box office