The House of Representatives organised on Wednesday, 19 February 2025, at the Satirical Theatre, Nicosia, at 6.30 p.m. an event in honour of the actress and director Despina Bebedeli, entitled “A long, long journey from reality to the magical world of theatre“, recognizing her acting talent and her rich contribution to the Cypriot and Greek theatre and to cultural life in general. The event was attended by members of parliament, state officials, people from the Cypriot and Greek artistic scene, acting students and many others who wished to honour Mrs. Bebedeli with their presence.

The President of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Anita Demetriou, addressed the event, who, among other things, highlighted the invaluable contribution of the actress-director to the theatre of Cyprus and Greece. She also praised her acting prowess, emphasizing the actress’ ability to transform herself on stage, to embody characters with depth and authenticity and her performance is always full of intensity, emotion and truth. On behalf of the House, the Speaker of the House of Representatives awarded the actress-director the House of Representatives Medal as a token of honour and appreciation for her long-standing contribution to the theatre.

Receiving the medal of honour, Mrs. Bebedeli thanked the President of the Parliament and the body for the honour, referring to the value of the award as coming from the political sphere, to a representative of art and spirit, and described the event as a “summit meeting” of political and intellectual culture, stressing the importance of communication between these two pillars on matters of substance, as this is how the power, prestige and contribution of the state to the world is demonstrated.

The programme of the event also included a screening of a tribute to the actress-director with excerpts from her long and rich career. This was followed by a speech on her work and her contribution by the playwright Mr. George Neophytou, who referred to Ms. Bebedeli’s talent and dedication to the art, describing her as “immeasurable”, as she is a “living university of creative writing”. For Mr. Neophytou, Ms. Bebedeli is “everything a writer dreams of,” noting their countless collaborations through which she has elevated his writings, making him “a shareholder in her own triumphant journey.”

In her response, Mrs.Bebedeli thanked all those who honoured her with the “expensive gift” of their presence and referred to the countless spiritual journeys in space and time with a different name and a different character each time, with the desire to continue her cooperation with her colleagues, staging “farewell performances” at the Satirical Theatre.

Mrs. Bebedeli also performed a monologue excerpt from the Exodus of Euripides’ tragedy The Trojan Women, captivating the audience with her excellent performance.