George Eugeniou addressing the 2019 flag-raising ceremony ceremony. On his right is Lucy Christofi Christy

AS the Cypriot flag was raised outside Theatro Technis last week to mark the beginning of the annual Cyprus Week festival, George Eugeniou could safely bask in the knowledge that the theatre he founded 66 years ago is still going strong.

His team of dedicated volunteers and staff has ensured that the Somers Town-based venue is managing to weather the financial drought currently engulfing the arts in this country and looking to the future with renewed vigour.

Although Theatro Technis receives no regular funding and relies on renting out office and performance space, there is a distinct buzz in the air as one enters the stylishly refurbished foyer. This weekend it is presenting the return of old friends Martha D Lewis and Eve Polycarpou in their cabaret show, Donna & Kebab are Martha and Eve – A Celebration!, while next month it is hosting the Camden Fringe Festival

Among those who have stepped in to help is Kerry Michael, former artistic director of the Theatre Royal Stratford East, who is using his expertise to make the most of what Theatro Technis has to offer as a community-based theatre.

“We are trying to get more value out of the building, build partnerships and have a full programme on our website,” he said. “We want to have a really strong youth theatre – to be here in Somers Town developing the next generation of performers and writers. It is not easy but it is what we have to do.”

Like many of those involved in Theatro Technis, he is of Cypriot origin and volunteered at the theatre as a young actor looking for more experience. “I worked with George, put on a couple of plays and had a fantastic time,” he added. “Hundreds of people have passed through the theatre in this way. It’s great to be back.”

Originally from Cyprus and still serving as artistic director at the grand age of 92, George Eugeniou launched Theatro Technis in Camden Town in 1957 after abandoning a promising stage and film career. His aim was to create a voice for the Cypriot community, which began settling in the borough in the 1930s following an uprising in Cyprus against British rule.

After operating from a garage in Camden Mews, the theatre moved into a converted railway shed on derelict land in King’s Cross before ending up at the Old St Pancras Church House in Crowndale Road in 1978, which it would go on to purchase.

By this time, it had developed a reputation for cutting-edge theatre that looked beyond its Cypriot roots to embrace wider issues. The theatre also became a community hub offering a range of services, which were stepped up after Turkey’s 1974 invasion of the island that led to the arrival of thousands of refugees to the UK. True to form, the political and social upheaval was reflected in the theatre’s famously prolific output.

Since 1968, Theatro Technis has been staging Cyprus Week to showcase Cypriot culture. This year’s edition saw a reading of an extract from Cypria, Elena Pavli’s satirical play about Stasinus, the “lost poet of Cyprus”. It was performed by Lucy Christofi Christy, who first visited the theatre as a child, started acting there in the 1990s and is now on the board of directors.

“After leaving drama school I wrote to George with an interest in becoming involved and his response was very positive,” said Lucy, who is currently shooting the feature film, I Forgot to Remember You, with the former dancer Wayne Sleep.

“I started appearing in Theatro Technis productions, both English and Greek, and never looked back. There is still a demand for what we have to offer and it is lovely to see young Turkish and Greek Cypriots come to the theatre. There has to be an immigrant voice.”

“Things are going well,” said George, who was down at the theatre overseeing a reading of his new play, Pan Metron Ariston. “We will never give up and are planning for the next 66 years.”

• Donna & Kebab are Martha and Eve – A Celebration!, July 29-30.
• Camden Fringe Festival 2023 launch party, July 31.
• Theatro Technis, 26 Crowndale Road, NW1 1TT https://www.theatrotechnis.com/