Phaedon, or Vertigo. A Play

In her poetry collection Lights, Marguerite Yourcenar explores the story of Phaedon—a man whose fate serves as an allegory for how desire, violence, loss, and knowledge can transform a person’s life.

Phaedon tells Kebet about the turning point in his life—how Alcibiades, at Socrates’ request, ransomed him from slavery. In his confession, memories of the past come to life, along with reflections on love and beauty, violence, and human existence. Gradually, these memories coalesce into a continuous sense of vertigo—a state between the past and the present, between physical experience and philosophical reflection.

The play is based on the text of the same name by Marguerite Yourcenar from the collection Feux (Fires).

Creative Team:
Director and Choreographer — Andreas Arauzos
Translation — Ioanna D. Hadjinikoli
Lighting and Live Camera — Nikos Milonas
Music — Stavros Makris
Producer — Alpha Square

Cast:
Andreas Arauzos — Phaedon
Stavros Dimopoulos — Kebet, Alcibiades, and the young Phaedon

The title “Phaedon, or Vertigo” refers to one of the nine monologues in Marguerite Yourcenar’s book Feux (Fires). In this production, Phaedon’s story becomes a profound exploration of memory, desire, violence, love, and the search for one’s true self.

Additional information: The production is presented by the Cypriot theater company Alpha Square, directed by Andreas Arauzos. The performance features lighting and a live camera, with music composed by Stavros Makris.

September 23 and 24, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
Nicosia Municipal Theater Square