Tunis: The 26th edition of the Carthage Theatre Days festival commenced at the City of Culture in Tunis with Jordan making its mark in the official competition through two standout plays.
According to Jordan News Agency, Jordan is participating with “The Shelter,” directed by Sawsan Darouze, and “Hammam Al-Hana,” directed by Hisham Sweidan. These plays are featured in the Arab and African performances section of the festival, which runs until November 29. This year’s festival is a grand affair, showcasing 125 performances from 32 different countries, with 12 productions selected for the official competition.
The Arab and African performances section highlights six plays, including the Jordanian production “Hammam Al-Hana.” Meanwhile, the World Theatre section presents 15 plays, alongside works from correctional institutions and performances designed for children.
The festival’s intellectual programme is robust, offering workshops on directing and theatre criticism. It delves into “action” as the essence of theatrical performance across physical, psychological, and verbal dimensions. Additional workshops focus on improvisation and the transformation of scripts from page to stage. Notably, this edition introduces the International Theatre Forum, scheduled from November 24 to 26, with the theme “The Theatre Artist: His Time and Works.”
Following the festival’s opening ceremony, audiences were treated to a performance of “King Lear,” featuring renowned Arab actor Yehia El-Fakharany, directed by Shady Srour, and produced by the Egyptian National Theatre.