Nona Moleski and Cypriot Theatre

The TEPAK Library presents an important resource for the study of contemporary Cypriot theatre: the archive of theatre reviews by the journalist and critic who documented theatre life in Cyprus for 35 years.

Researchers and the public will now be able to explore a substantial part of Cyprus's theatrical history through the critical perspective of Nona Moleski, as the Cyprus University of Technology Library presents the digitised archive of her theatre reviews.

The presentation will take place on Monday 19 October at the Limassol Municipal University Library, as part of an event dedicated to Moleski's contribution to theatre criticism and the documentation of the country's theatre life.

Nona Moleski (1956-2023), who was born in Armenia, studied Classical Philology in Moscow and settled in Cyprus in 1982. She began writing theatre criticism in late 1987 for the newspaper «Empros» and worked with «Phileleftheros» from 1991 to 2022. For three and a half decades, she followed and reviewed performances, leaving behind an extensive body of critical writing that traces the paths, pursuits and transformations of theatre in Cyprus.

The physical archive was donated by her family to the TEPAK Library in early 2024. It included approximately 1200 items, mainly newspaper clippings featuring Moleski's reviews, as well as dozens of related publications in various print media. The University's Office of Digitisation and Archive Management undertook the digitisation and documentation of the material during 2024-2026, while the database was enriched with additional reviews by her.

The archive covers a wide range of material: Cypriot theatre productions on both sides of the dividing line, foreign productions presented in Cyprus, and performances the critic herself attended abroad. It is the first digitised archive of its kind for Cypriot theatre, of particular importance for theatre research, the historical documentation of performances, and the study of the artists and trends that shaped contemporary theatrical creation. The material is freely accessible to the public.

At the event, the director of the TEPAK Library, Marios Zervas, will deliver a greeting, while Marina Christodoulou will present the digitisation project on behalf of the responsible Office. The archive's academic curator, theatre scholar Andri H. Constantinou of Frederick University, will analyse the archive's content and value for Cypriot theatre studies.

The guest speaker will be Zoe Ververopoulou, Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Media at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, theatre critic and founding member of the Hellenic Association of Theatre and Performing Arts Critics. Her presentation will focus on the place of theatre criticism in the contemporary theatre landscape, Moleski's contribution, and the importance of critical archives for research.

Giorgos Savvinidis, cultural affairs editor at «Phileleftheros» and Moleski's long-time collaborator, will speak about their collaboration and assess her work from the perspective of a cultural journalist.

Director Maria Kyriakou will approach theatre criticism from the perspective of stage professionals, while actress Maria Skoula will read excerpts from Moleski's reviews. Finally, Eleni Moleski will offer a response on behalf of the family.

The project website will soon be accessible via the relevant link and through the TEPAK Library website.

Where and when
Limassol, at the Municipal University Library, Monday 19 October, 7 p.m. Duration: 80 minutes, followed by a reception. Free admission