Curtain Call and Carbs: The Cast's Honest Guide to Eating Around Paphos Theatre

Ask any actor at Paphos Theatre where to eat before a show, and you'll get an answer delivered with the conviction of a monologue. These are people who perform on an empty stage eight times a week; they do not take dinner lightly.

So when audition season rolled around and nervous newcomers started asking where to grab a bite before reading for the fall productions, we went straight to the source. Here's the cast-and-crew-approved list — every spot within a ten-minute walk of the stage door, every recommendation earned the hard way.

Before the Big Read: The Pre-Audition Meze Ritual

Taverna Kyra Maria — five minutes on foot, all of it uphill, which regulars insist "builds character."

Every actor who's been in more than two productions here has a pre-audition order at Kyra Maria. For director Yannis Papadopoulos, it's the halloumi with lountza and a small carafe of local white. "I've cast people I met in that dining room," he admits. "Not officially. But you can tell a lot about someone by how they treat a shared plate of meze."

His advice for audition day: eat light, eat early, and skip the garlic-heavy dishes. "Save the full meze spread for opening night, when you've earned it and nobody has to share a mic with you."

The Pre-Show Dinner, Production by Production

Pairing your meal with the show is a bit of a local art form. Here's how the regulars do it this season:

For the comedy on the mainstage: Head to To Limanaki, right by the harbor, about seven minutes away. The fried calamari comes out fast, which matters when curtain's at eight. Stage manager Rebecca Lin's tip: "Order by 6:45, ask for the corner table, and you'll be in your seat with two minutes to spare. I've timed it. Repeatedly."

For the drama — something quieter: Longtime cast member Andreas Nicolaides swears by Ouzeri 1958, a dim, wood-beamed spot on a side street where the slow-cooked afelia matches any tragedy on our calendar. "You want a meal that lets you sit with your thoughts," he says. "Then the house red lets you sit with them a little longer."

For family matinees: Mama's Oven does a lunch set that keeps kids happy — small souvlaki plates, fresh lemonade — and gets you out the door with time to walk off the pita before the house opens.

The Intermission Snack Situation: Solved

Let's be honest: our concession stand is charming but not ambitious. Veteran patrons know the move — the baklava counter at Sweet Anemi, three minutes away, where you can grab a honey-soaked pastry in a napkin and be back before the second-act bell.

"I've seen people do it in four minutes flat," says box office volunteer Maria Georgiou. "It's basically an athletic event."

After the Final Bow: Where the Company Celebrates

Every theatre has its post-show haunt, and ours is Café Almyra, open late enough to catch the entire company still buzzing from a curtain call. On opening nights you'll find half the cast crammed around the outdoor tables, splitting a chocolate lava cake and relitigating every laugh and flubbed line.

Newcomers to the company — including audition hopefuls who've just landed their first role — get the traditional welcome: a spoonful of glyko, the Cypriot preserved-fruit sweet, and a toast with something cold.

"We've had tourists wander in, see a table of theatre people, and end up buying season tickets," Maria says. "That's Paphos for you. Everything's connected."

Making a Full Evening of It: A Visitor's Itinerary

If you're visiting from the States and want the full experience, here's the playbook our cast gives visiting friends:

1. 6:00 p.m. — Early dinner at To Limanaki or Ouzeri 1958 (reserve ahead in summer).
2. 7:15 p.m. — A slow stroll along the coastal path to the theatre. The harbor lights are worth the detour.
3. 8:00 p.m. — Curtain.
4. Intermission — Optional baklava sprint at Sweet Anemi.
5. 10:30 p.m. — Café Almyra for dessert and, if you're lucky, a story or two from the stage.

And if you're in town during audition weeks — announced right here on the site — come hungry. As Yannis puts it: "Nobody has ever given a bad reading on a full stomach and a clear conscience. Well. Almost nobody."

Tickets for the fall season are on sale now. Bring your appetite — for both kinds of theatre.