18th Egyptian National Theatre Festival features 35 plays in the main competition - Stage & Street - Arts & Culture
This year, the competing performances represent an extensive array of troupes, from those staged by groups operating under different sectors of the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Cultural Palaces, to works by students of the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts, Art House for Theatre, Cultural Palaces, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Academy of Arts, private theatres, and university theatre teams.
Many of the plays have already premiered and garnered acclaim among audiences and critics alike, while others are new to the large audiences.
The festival's programme will include productions by the Art House for Theatre: Carmen (directed by Nasser Abdel Moneim), Women's Prison (Youssef Mourad), Casino (Amr Hassan), Hekayat El-Sheta (Winter Tales, by Mohamed El-Ashry), Funduq El-Alamein (Hotel Alamein, by Mohamed Taye'), and others representing troupes of different Egyptian state theatres.
The General Authority of Cultural Palaces will present plays by troupes from Cairo and other governorates. These include Laanat Zekar (The Curse of Zekar, directed by Ibrahim El-Sayed El-Fiqi, a play produced by Kafr El-Sheikh Troupe), Cinema 30 (directed by Mohamed El-Haddad and presented by Beheira National Troupe), Al-Yad Al-Sawda (The Black Hand, directed by Bishoy Emad and representing Port Said Specialised Troupe), and others.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports will present two plays: Jarrarayn El-Sawaqi (The Waterwheel Wagons, by Ziad Hany Kamal from the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts), and Enta El-Samaa W Ana El-Ard (You Are the Sky and I Am the Earth, by a troupe from Tanta University, directed by El-Saeed Mansi).
Numerous other plays will showcase a variety of Egyptian talents, including, among others, Hawadit, a play written and directed by Khaled Galal as part of the graduation project of the third batch (Group A) of the Future Stars programme Galal had launched at the Creativity Centre, which he runs.
Students of the Academy of Theatrical Arts will participate in the festival through several productions, including El-Wahsh (The Monster, written and directed by Mohamed Adel El-Naggar), Les Misérables (Mahmoud Abdel Razek), and Al-Awlad El-Tayyiboon Yastahikoon El-Aataf (Good Boys Deserve Sympathy, by Mohamed Ayman).
A troupe from Banha University will stage Ashab El-Ard (People of the Land, directed by Mohamed Zaki), while Beni Suef University will present Mohakama El-Sayed Arthur Miller (The Trial of Mr. Arthur Miller, directed by Youssef El-Mansour).
Those and several other performances celebrating local talent will fill the stages of Cairo and other cities' theatres.
Besides plays, the festival will also hold several workshops and seminars. The latter will examine the intellectual and aesthetic shifts within Egyptian theatre.
On the festival's sidelines, writing competitions that aim to foster young playwrights and researchers' creativity will be held. For instance, the highly anticipated playwriting competition saw the submission of more than 150 plays. The winners will be revealed during the festival's days.
Launched in 2006, the Egyptian National Theatre Festival has grown to become the largest annual event focusing on Egypt's theatre movement. The festival's mission is to celebrate all forms of theatrical practices in Egypt and open dialogues between artists and critics, while creating bridges between generations of Egyptian creatives.
The festival's 18th edition will take place between 20 July and 6 August.
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