Sebastian. The Play

On October 6 and 7, 2026, as part of the Nicosia International Festival in Nicosia, the Greek theater company Nova Melancholia will present the play “Sebastian” (Sebastian). The production has already received an award from the Greek Association of Theater and Performing Arts Critics and was presented to great acclaim in Athens.

At the heart of the play is Saint Sebastian, one of the most recognizable and controversial figures in Western culture. For centuries, the young martyr, pierced by arrows, has inspired artists, poets, directors, and other creators. His image has constantly evolved, becoming a kind of screen onto which each era has projected its desires, fears, and fantasies.

Nova Melancholia views Sebastian not merely as a religious figure, but as a multifaceted cultural archetype. On stage, painting, poetry, music, dance, cinema, poses, and gestures come together to form a single, living composition.

Here, youth, beauty, physical strength, sensuality, pain, eroticism, and martyrdom coexist. Through this unusual image, the performance explores why, after so many centuries, we are still capable of responding emotionally and physically to the figure of Saint Sebastian.

Particularly intriguing is the connection between the saint’s story and contemporary memory. Sebastian is traditionally associated with protection against the plague, and the production draws a parallel with the AIDS epidemic, revealing a striking similarity in human reactions in the face of illness, fear, and death—and our unwavering desire to find protection and hope.

Nova Melancholia is one of Greece’s most distinctive contemporary theater companies. In its productions, the troupe combines theater with visual art, literature, music, and performance, drawing simultaneously on art history, philosophy, popular culture, and contemporary politics. Their style is recognizable for its blend of lyricism, irony, dark humor, and powerful visual imagery.

Age: 16+
Ticket: €25
For people with disabilities: free admission upon presentation of a valid ID.

Concept and Artistic Direction: Vasilis Noulas and Kostas Tsimoulis
Director: Vasilis Noulas
Cast: Nikos Dasis, Haris Doumouras, Christina Karagianni, Christina Reinhardt, Telis Tellakis.