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Egyptian National Theatre Festival 2026

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2026-07-25 22:27 UTC → 2026-07-26 22:43 UTC · added removed

The 19th edition of Egypt’s National Theatre Festival opened in Mansoura on 6 July, featuring workshops on acting, directing, playwriting and design, and inclusive sessions for people with disabilities. Master‑classes were led by notable theatre figures, and performances such as “Hawadit”, “One Hundred and Thirty Pieces” and “Girl of the Metro” were presented alongside concerts. Awards honoured cultural icons Walid Yusuf, Ahmed Wafiq and Sabri Nasif. On 19 July the organisers announced a detailed programme of 34 main productions and three fringe shows, drawing contributions from state theatres, cultural institutions, folk groups, universities and civil‑society ensembles. A press conference on 20 25 July at the Small Grand Theatre of the Egyptian Opera House confirmed the opening ceremony for 25 July on the Grand Theatre, and introduced a research forum titled “Theatre and Audience: Does the audience go to theatre or does theatre go to the audience?” chaired by a committee of critics. The opening ceremony on 25 July, under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, was chaired by artist Mohamed Riyadh and Culture. The ceremony, hosted by media personality Riham Ibrahim. The Ibrahim, featured the inaugural performance “Safar” (Travel), designed and directed by Walid Auni, used visual imagery and movement to portray a journey across Egypt’s provinces. Actor Ahmed Maher was honoured at the ceremony; in veteran actor Ahmed Maher. In his acceptance speech he Maher thanked festival president Mohamed Riyadh Riyadh, noted that the recognition arrived late but meant a great deal, and highlighted his recalled a recent international work. celebrated performance in Tunisia. Following the opening, the festival shifted much of its programme to the provinces, launching a tour centred on Dakahlia Governorate and the city of Mansoura. Over a week, 72 cultural activities—including performances, seminars and workshops for people with disabilities—were held. Eleven specialised workshops covered acting, directing, scenography, play‑writing, composition and production, aiming to discover and train young talent. Productions such as “Metro Girl”, “130 Pieces” and “Hawadit” emerged from these workshops. A free online ticketing system using QR codes was introduced, allowing audiences to reserve seats at midnight on the day of each show. The competition jury, chaired by director Khaled Galal, includes Dr Ahlam Younis, actress Aida Fahmi, engineer Amr Abdullah Sharif, director Mohamed Zaki, musician Mahmoud Talaat, critic Ahmed Abdel‑Razek Abu Alaa and coordinator Mahmoud Hassan. The festival will run continue until 11 August, featuring a competition, additional workshops, seminars seminars, a research forum on audience engagement, and tribute events for prominent Egyptian theatre figures.

Versions

  1. 2026-07-26 22:43 UTC Egyptian National Theatre Festival 2026
  2. 2026-07-25 22:27 UTC Egyptian National Theatre Festival 2026

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