Memoirs of a P.O.W.

🗓️ Friday 18 July 2025 |

🕢 7:30 PM

📍 Theatro Technis, London

🎭 Presented by the Cultural Section of the Cyprus High Commission in the UK

As the final event of our season, Memoirs of a P.O.W. brought to life the true and moving story of Greek Cypriot soldier Phylactis Aristokleous, a sergeant in the British Army during WWII, whose long-unseen memoirs speak of resilience, captivity, and courage.

Adapted for stage and directed by Professor George Rodosthenous, researched by Professor Christiana Gregoriou, translated by Maria Iole Karolidou, and performed with extraordinary emotional clarity by Stylianos Thomadakis, this one-man lecture-performance marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and honoured a generation whose voices are fading — but whose stories continue to shape us.

An intimate exhibition accompanied the performance, quietly echoing the loss, love, and humanity of those times. For one evening in London, the past stood beside us, reminded us, moved us.

Co-produced by the Cultural Section of the Cyprus High Commission, with the support of LAHRI, the Deputy Ministry of Culture of Cyprus, and the University of Leeds, this event was both tribute and call — to listen, remember, and share. Because some stories must not be forgotten.