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Friday: When love becomes a scientific experiment
Can you tell the difference between falling in love and the effects of an antidepressant? It sounds like a question best avoided on a first date, but it is exactly the sort of dilemma that makes for a good night at the theatre.
The Satiriko Theatre brings Lucy Prebble’s acclaimed play The Effect to Cyprus for the first time, with performances on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
Connie and Tristan meet while taking part in a clinical trial for a new antidepressant. They fall in love, but as the experiment progresses, they begin to question whether their feelings are genuine or influenced by the medication.
Directed by Evita Ioannou, the play explores love, mental health, scientific ethics and the complicated business of understanding our own emotions. Expect humour and some uncomfortable questions, particularly if you have ever tried to work out whether you genuinely like someone or simply enjoy the attention.
The production is staged at the Lower Stage of Satiriko Theatre and is suitable for audiences aged 16 and over. Tickets and information are available at satirikotheatro.com or by calling 22 312940.
Art that asks us to share the planet
If your idea of a Friday evening involves fewer romantic crises and more time looking at art, head to Diatopos Art Centre in Nicosia.
The centre is hosting A Planet in Common, a solo exhibition by Yiannos Economou, curated by Daphne Nikita. Running until Nov. 13, the exhibition explores the growing separation between humans and the natural world, asking visitors to consider who really gets to occupy the planet.
Rather than placing people at the centre of the story, Economou turns his attention to animals navigating landscapes shaped by human activity. The main work is a multichannel video installation inspired by a real-life confrontation between a cat and two crows in the artist’s neighbourhood.
It is an unusual starting point for an exhibition, and a reminder that the everyday dramas unfolding outside our windows do not necessarily involve us.
The exhibition is at Diatopos Art Centre, 11D-Z Crete Street, Nicosia. For details, call 22 766117 or visit diatopos.com.
Saturday: Let the landscape do the talking
Limassol offers another reason to make time for contemporary art this weekend, with Land Written in Verse: Contemporary Landscapes at The Gallery 45.
Opening on Oct. 22 and running until Nov. 29, the group exhibition brings together five contemporary artists from Armenia and Iran: Armen Hakobjanyan, Astghik Petrosyan, Ayda Roozbayani, Iman Ebrahimpour and Maryam Khastoo.
Through painting, ceramic sculpture, drawing and photography, the artists explore the connections between landscape, memory, identity and belonging. The works move beyond simply showing what a place looks like, considering instead how our surroundings become tied to personal experiences, emotions and the ways we remember where we come from.
It is an appealing option for anyone who enjoys an exhibition that leaves room for interpretation. You can spend an afternoon looking at the work, decide what it means to you and, if necessary, blame the artist when somebody asks you to explain your favourite piece.
The Gallery 45 is at 45 Agiou Andreou Street in Limassol. The exhibition runs until Nov. 29. Visit thegallery45.com for information.
Saturday night: More questions, fewer answers
Still looking for a Saturday evening plan? The Effect returns at 8 p.m. at Satiriko Theatre, offering a chance to catch the production before the weekend is over.
The play's central question is deceptively simple: if science can influence the way we feel, how do we know which emotions are truly ours?
It is a particularly good choice for a night out with someone who enjoys a lively discussion afterwards. Just be warned that the journey home could involve a debate about whether love is chemistry, choice or some inconvenient combination of both.
Sunday: Bring a fairytale back to life
Sunday morning is for the children, the nostalgic and anyone who would rather spend an hour with a dragon than another hour staring at a screen.
Theatre Antilogos is reviving Oi Triplaroi tjai o Drakos tis Miliás (The Triplaroi and the Dragon of Milia), the first production created for its children's stage, to mark the company's 10th anniversary.
Adapted by Andri Theodotou, the production brings a Cypriot folk tale more than three centuries old back to the stage. The story was recorded by Lambros Polykarpou in an award-winning edition featuring engravings by Hambis, and the new production draws inspiration from both the book and the oral storytelling traditions that form part of Cyprus's intangible cultural heritage.
It also pays tribute to the original 2016 production, directed by the late Alexia Papalazarou.
Directed by Fotis Fotiou, with dramaturgical adaptation by the director and performances by Valantis Louka, Andriani Neokleous and Elyia Palatou, the show offers families a chance to introduce younger audiences to a piece of local folklore.
The premiere takes place on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 11 a.m. at Allos Horos, Theatro Ena, 4 Athinas Street, Nicosia. Further performances will take place every Sunday at 11 a.m. until Nov. 29.
For information, call 99 251331.
Prefer your Sunday with a gallery rather than a dragon?
Both exhibitions offer an easy alternative if you fancy a quieter outing.
At Diatopos, A Planet in Common invites visitors to look at the natural world from the perspective of the creatures living in it. In Limassol, Land Written in Verse: Contemporary Landscapes explores the emotional and cultural connections people form with the places around them.
Neither requires you to know anything about art before walking through the door. Curiosity is enough, and there is no compulsory exam at the exit.
Make a weekend of it
The best part about this weekend's programme is that you do not have to commit to one particular mood. Friday can be for contemporary art, Saturday for theatre and Sunday for a fairytale, with enough time left over for coffee, lunch and the important business of deciding where to eat.
Just remember to check ticket availability before setting off, particularly for theatre performances. The housework can wait another weekend. The dragon, the art and the existential questions about love are rather more interesting company.
