Larnaka 2030 presented the play Princess Zehra by Larnaka playwright Costas Mannouris. It was a theatrical walk with six stops where six stories of people spread across space and time were heard. A group of actors, musicians and residents invited the audience to walk through the streets of Turkomahalas and meet Mannouris’ heroines and heroes, a little strange and otherworldly, yet rather common and familiar. The play took the form of a site-specific performance in the Turkomahalas of Skala, directed by Naya T. Karakosta and premiered on Sunday 24 September. Four more performances followed.
The audience-walkers met the performers at Zouhouri Square, starting their journey to Turkomahalas, in this unknown urban space, so close to the city centre but so far from the social and artistic scene. The stage for the performance was the streets of Turkomahalas with the stories coming to life through narration, re-enactment and music.
The viewer-walkers entered into a game of empathy with the characters. They were invited to understand them, to speculate on their suffering and hopes, to see the light that they hold within. Each of us is a carrier of stories, our neighbourhoods are arks of stories. Princess Zehra explored these stories from the perspective of our common humanity, our common destiny through time. At its core, the play proposes a journey towards the unknown neighbour, a journey of mutual understanding and compassion.
Actors: Theodora Andreou, Antonis Kleanthous
Stage design and landscape mapping / Video: Haris Nika
Music composition and music scoring: Andreas Georgiou
