1953

1953 is a dramaturgical exercise in three acts, grounded in the facticity of the present. It seeks to reimagine the Rialto Theatre as a unified, fluid space, dissolving the boundaries between stage and auditorium, inside and outside, day and night. From sunset to sunrise, the performance unfolds as a shifting landscape where the dramatized and the real are interwoven, transforming Rialto into a site of continuous mutation, through a counterpoint of actions, voices, and images.

Spanning 15 hours, from dusk to dawn, the work traces a path from the detail to the collective, confronting the very limits of theatrical experience in time.

1953, the year of birth of scenographer Valentino Joseph and of Julie the elephant, sets the coordinates for a composition that mobilizes numerous contributors through a wide spectrum of collaborations and technological means.

Concept / Direction: Christodoulos Panayiotou

This programme is part of the Art Explora Festival in Limassol (25 oct.-4 nov.)

More info > https://www.artexplora.org/en/festival/city/limassol (English) / https://www.artexplora.org/el/festival/ville/limassol (Greek)

With (among others): Valentino Joseph, Elena Topalidou, Stela Phyrogeni, Androula Kafa, Christina Vantzou, Limassol Philharmonic Orchestra, Giorgos Krasidis, Amalgamation Choir, Vasiliki Anastasiou, Alexandros Pissourios, Angelos Charalambous, Alexis Vassiliou, Nicolas Stylianou, Marios Konstantinou, Christina Olympiou, Mihalis Shammas, Loizos Olympios, Kristia Michael, Adonis Archontides, Sofronis Sofroniou, Andreas Antoniou.

Act One: 16:30–20:30 (31/10/2025)
Act Two: 20:30–22:30 (31/10/2025)
Act Three: 22:30–07:30 (31/10–1/11/2025)

Audience members may attend either part of the performance or the whole. Admission to all acts is free. Advance booking is required only for the central act (20:30–22:30). While access to the first and last chapters is open.