Legendary Fanny Ardant comes to perform at the Cyprus International Theatre Festival

There are names that instantly open the door to the world of great art. Fanny Ardant is one of them. A legendary French actress and an icon of European cinema and theatre comes to Cyprus as the headliner of the Cyprus International Theatre Festival.

This gives us a rare opportunity to see Fanny Ardant live on stage in her monologue performance Cassandre, where she turns to the mythical prophetess. This is neither a reconstruction of an ancient tragedy nor an academic theatrical form. It is a conversation about the contemporary world,  a woman’s voice, the cost of foresight, and inner freedom.

CITF 2026

This year’s festival is held under the theme SHE IS HERE, focusing on female presence in contemporary theatre. The program brings together performances in which women speak from the stage directly and personally — through different artistic languages, forms, and experiences. Each evening offers its own perspective, while together they create a coherent and thoughtful artistic statement.

Bulat Latypov, Advisory Board Member, CITF: “CITF is one of those events that, for a week, shifts the island’s cultural scale; world-class theatre suddenly feels right at our doorstep. This year’s theme, SHE IS HERE, is especially spot-on: it puts the spotlight on women in the arts and on voices that are resonating even more powerfully today. The festival’s art director, Alexander Weinstein — who previously brought John Malkovich to our beautiful island — has put together a truly mind-blowing programme for 3-8 March and has clearly done an outstanding job. Honestly, it would be a shame to miss it. A week of great theatre in Limassol kicks off on 3 March — it’s going to be thrilling!”

Alexander Weinstein, Founder of CITF: “As always, we bring unexpected discoveries to the island — artistic works gathered carefully from festivals around the world that our team attended over the past year. Each performance has been chosen with attention and belief.

Behind this stands a remarkable team and an extraordinary advisory board, people who contribute their professionalism, experience, and dedication to this bold and ambitious project every single day. This year, we are honoured to welcome the legendary French actress Fanny Ardant, who will perform alongside the local symphony orchestra — a powerful collaboration between the international and the local artistic community.”

Programme

March 3 – Marianna de Sanctis

Mother. Woman. Artist. – a contemporary theatrical performance where an unflinchingly honest monologue meets physical theatre and circus language.

March 4 – Magic Garden (two performances)

WHO ARE YOU? Questioning – a bold theatrical experiment in which the audience becomes the protagonist.

March 5 – Gabriela Muñoz

Perhaps, Perhaps… Quizás – a wordless story about fragile expectations and the search for true love. Both hilarious and deeply moving, it is a performance in which you may unexpectedly recognize yourself.

March 6 – Vera Polozkova

Celebrating her birthday on stage with her program Red Thread.

March 7 – Lyudmila Petrushevskaya

A world-renowned writer presents the performance “A Tale of the Clock”, starring Natalia Sindeeva and Evgenia Borzykh, followed by her original “Pani Lyusya Cabaret” with songs written and performed by the author herself.

March 8 – Fanny Ardant

Cassandre – a spoken opera by Michael Jarrell, performed by the iconic French actress Fanny Ardant with a symphony orchestra.

More detailed information about the festival as well as an address of its Artistic Director can be found here