34 Productions, One Stage: Here’s What’s Coming to Egypt’s Biggest Theatre Festival
Egypt’s National Theatre Festival has officially revealed the lineup for its 19th edition, with 34 productions selected for the official competition and three additional performances featured as part of the festival’s fringe program.
Announced during a press conference at the Small Hall of the Cairo Opera House, this year’s selection brings together productions from across Egypt’s theatre landscape, showcasing the diversity of the country’s creative scene through state institutions, independent companies, university theatre, private productions, and youth initiatives.
Leading this year’s lineup are six productions from the National Theatre House: Metwally & Shafiqa, Seventh Heaven, Al Teatro, Sa’at Haz, Adagio, and Voluntary Prison. The General Authority for Cultural Palaces also contributes six productions, including The Day They Killed Singing, Sheikh El Arab, Night of the Assassins, Les Misérables, Margins of Al-Jabarti, and As If Nothing Had Happened.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports will be represented by Girls’ Moustache and Shortness of Breath, while the Hanager Arts Center enters the competition with Sama and One Moment. The Cultural Development Fund joins the festival with King Lear and Still Remember, while the National House for Folk and Performing Arts presents Love in Karnak.
The Academy of Arts is represented by three productions: Al Ponesco, What If, and Weekly Exercises to Learn the Perfect Method. Independent theatre companies will compete with Miramar, Layalina, Where No One Sees Me, Goodnight, Mama, and The Desperate Take the Train.
University theatre will be represented by The Postman and The Lady, while amateur groups and civil society organizations present The Caucasian Chalk Circle and The Land. The private sector joins the competition with Oliver Bel Araby (Oliver in Arabic), and the Acting Professions Syndicate participates with Crime and Punishment and Ya Nasseeni. Representing company, petroleum, and workers’ theatre is Shababik.
Alongside the official competition, the festival will also host three fringe performances: Metro Girl, A Chair with Wings, and Kodia.
The festival also announced the jury for the official competition, chaired by acclaimed director Khaled Galal. The panel brings together a distinguished group of theatre professionals, academics, artists, musicians, designers, and critics to evaluate this year’s competing productions.
In addition, organizers unveiled the committee responsible for judging the festival’s Critical Essay and Theoretical Research Competition, reaffirming the festival’s ongoing commitment to supporting theatre criticism, academic research, and the documentation of Egypt’s evolving theatrical movement.
With productions spanning government institutions, independent companies, universities, community organizations, and private theatre, the 19th National Theatre Festival offers one of its broadest lineups in recent years, highlighting the richness and diversity of contemporary Egyptian theatre.
