Citf: Fanny Ardant - Exclusive Talk & Cassandre – Live In Cyprus With Symphony Orchestra

The Cypriot premiere of Michael Jarrell's spoken opera — 18 musicians of the Commandaria Orchestra live on stage, with surtitles in Greek, Russian and English · Pattihio Municipal Theatre, 2 October 2026

French screen legend Fanny Ardant brings Cassandre, the spoken opera by Swiss composer Michael Jarrell, to the Pattihio Municipal Theatre in Limassol on 2 October 2026. Conducted by Jean Deroyer, with the Commandaria Orchestra — eighteen Cypriot musicians — performing live on stage, the evening is presented by the Cyprus International Theatre Festival. The performance is in French, with surtitles in Greek, Russian and English. To the festival's knowledge, it is the first full staging of the work in Cyprus.

The work. Cassandre is a Sprechoper — a “spoken opera,” or monodrama — by the distinguished Swiss composer Michael Jarrell, laureate of the Beethoven Prize. Based on Christa Wolf’s novel Cassandra and staged by director Hervé Loichemol, the piece gives the Trojan seer a single, unbroken voice: a woman who foresees catastrophe, is condemned never to be believed, and speaks the truth as her world falls. Ardant’s spoken text is carried, surrounded and at times masked by the live ensemble — the music sets the tempo of the words, not the reverse.

**The performer. Fanny Ardant — César Award winner, more than eighty films, muse of François Truffaut, and a collaborator of Antonioni, Resnais, Zeffirelli, Pollack, Ozon and Polanski. She returns to Cyprus nine years after her memorable appearance at Paphos Castle, and has carried Cassandre across Avignon, Paris and Athens as a role she will not relinquish.

“My only luxury in life is to do what I love. I am not professional enough to perform a role I do not love.”

“Truth is always a voice in the desert. It does not belong to power, to money, or to the law of the strongest — it belongs to the one who seeks it.”

The Commandaria Orchestra. Eighteen Cypriot musicians take on Jarrell’s demanding contemporary score under Jean Deroyer, Music Director of Ensemble Court-Circuit (Paris) and a

recognised interpreter of the composer’s work — a rare chance to hear a Cypriot ensemble perform a landmark of European music theatre live on their home stage.

Open Talk. The evening before the premiere, on 1 October at the Crowne Plaza Limassol Hotel & Spa, Fanny Ardant meets guests in person for an intimate cocktail and conversation. The talk is moderated by Katerina Gordeeva, an independent journalist known for her long-form interview project “Skazhi Gordeevoy” (“Tell Gordeeva”), one of the most closely followed interview formats in the Russian-speaking world. The evening opens with Opera Moments, a vocal tribute to Maria Callas performed by soprano Ksenia Belolipetskaya with pianist Zbyněk Maruška.

Patrons and partners. Cassandre is presented under the auspices of the Mayor of Limassol, with the Pattihio Municipal Theatre as Main Partner, and with the support of Pro Helvetia — the Swiss Arts Council and the Embassy of Switzerland to the Republic of Cyprus. Production by Les Visiteurs du Soir (France). A full list of partners appears below.

About CITF. The Cyprus International Theatre Festival brings landmark international theatre to Cyprus, pairing world-renowned artists with Cypriot talent and audiences. In its previous seasons it has presented John Malkovich, Kirill Serebrennikov, Pilobolus Dance Theatre and Divina Commedia, reaching more than 15,000 spectators and generating over 100 media publications across Cyprus, France and the United Kingdom.

FROM THE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

Cassandre closes the SHE IS HERE season. Cassandre foresaw the war that, on the first attempt, made this performance fall through. October 2 is the second try. The piece is rarely staged live: 18 musicians, Christa Wolf’s text, Jarrell’s score, Ardant in person — an almost impossible set of conditions. If the actress in her most demanding form is what you’re after, this is that meeting. Alexander Weinstein Founder & Artistic Director · CITF

PRACTICAL INFORMATION Production Cassandre — spoken opera by Michael Jarrell, based on Christa Wolf Cast Fanny Ardant · Conductor Jean Deroyer · Commandaria Orchestra (18 musicians) Date & venue Friday 2 October 2026 · Pattihio Municipal Theatre, Limassol Open Talk Cocktail & conversation with Fanny Ardant, moderated by Katerina Gordeeva · Thursday 1 October, 14:30 · Crowne Plaza Limassol Hotel & Spa Language French, with surtitles in Greek, Russian and English · approx. 70 min, no interval Tickets Buy tickets on SoldOut More information citf.cy/2026/cassandre-fanny-ardant Media partner Phileleftheros

NOTES TO EDITORS High-resolution photographs are available here: Press photo pack (Google Drive). For interviews, images and accreditation, please contact: Cyprus International Theatre Festival Alexander Weinstein — Founder & Artistic Director

[email protected] · citf.cy · @citf.cy

PARTNERS & SPONSORS

Under the auspices of the Mayor of Limassol · Municipality of Limassol Main Partner Pattihio Municipal Theatre, Limassol With the support of Pro Helvetia — Swiss Arts Council · Embassy of Switzerland to the Republic of Cyprus · Alliance Française de Limassol · Institut français de Chypre Orchestra Commandaria Orchestra · Production Les Visiteurs du Soir (France) Sponsor ASG Leasing · Official Flight Partner Cyprus Airways Official Hotel Crowne Plaza by IHG, Limassol Media Partners Phileleftheros · ZIMA Magazine Event Partners Allegro · Crowne Plaza Limassol · Flowers Be Bloomy

Rescheduled from 8/03/2026 to 2/10/2026