Cyprus Theatre Museum is located at the Panos Solomonides Cultural Center in the Old Town part of Limassol. The collection includes posters, playbills, costumes, decorations, props and photographs.

The museum was founded in 1987 thanks to the private collection of Nikos S. Nikolaides – an optician by profession and an amateur actor. Starting from an early age Nikolaides had been collecting material relating to theatre and its activities in Cyprus. Later in life he donated his archive to the Municipality of Limassol, following which the city began searching for the right location for a museum. After a generous donation from Panos Solominides,a printing factory was purchased and renovated in order to accommodate a new cultural center, which opened in 2010.

At the moment the museum also houses materials from a private collection belonging to Giorgos Filis.

The exhibition consists of three parts.

The first one is dedicated to the emergence of theater on the island and highlights the crucial moments in the history of theater. This part of the exhibition also features a 1912 booklet and a costume belonging to N. Nikolaides.

The second part of the exhibition shows the «backstage» of the theater world and features photographs, props, sketches, costumes, posters and other audiovisual material. Make sure to check out the 1940s drawings by Telemachos Cantos and one of the costumes from the play Ajas.

The third part of the exhibition is dedicated to theater itself and contains rare costumes and fragments of the most significant plays in the history of Cyprus theater. This part also includes a small screening room. 

 

Photo by Daria Saulskaia