Egypt’s National Theatre Festival opened its 19th edition in Cairo on Saturday night, bringing together performers, directors, critics and theatre enthusiasts for a celebration of the country’s stage tradition and emerging talent.
The festival was inaugurated at the Cairo Opera House’s Main Hall by Abdel Aziz Konsowa, minister of higher education and scientific research and acting culture minister. It will run until August 11 under the slogan “The National Theatre Festival in Every Part of Egypt.”
The programme includes productions from official, independent, university and private theatre companies, reflecting the festival’s stated aim of expanding access to the arts beyond the capital and promoting what organisers describe as cultural justice across Egypt.
In his opening address, Konsowa said theatre was “a cornerstone in shaping consciousness, nurturing the human being and discovering talent,” adding that supporting it strengthened Egypt’s soft power.
“The Egyptian theatre has, throughout its history, witnessed the major transformations experienced by society,” he said. “It has been a broad space for dialogue and enlightenment, and a platform that embraced creativity and launched generations of artists and thinkers.”
He also highlighted government efforts to establish programmes for identifying talent, developing creative skills and preserving Egypt’s cultural identity. The initiatives, he said, would include support for theatrical writing and production, play-reading programmes, training workshops and efforts to prepare a new generation of theatre professionals.
The minister said the festival, launched by the culture ministry in 2006, had become a national event awaited by both theatre practitioners and audiences. He described the expansion of activities to other governorates as a practical expression of the principle that culture should be accessible to all citizens.
The city of Mansoura, in the Nile Delta governorate of Dakahlia, has been selected as a major venue in this year’s edition. Organisers said 72 activities were held there, including workshops for people with disabilities, seminars, play readings, masterclasses and three theatrical performances.
The Mansoura programme concluded with “Hekayat” (“Tales”), directed by Khaled Galal, before a large audience.
The festival is also hosting 23 intellectual seminars and 11 workshops in Cairo. Around 20,000 students have registered for workshops in Cairo and Mansoura, organisers said.
The festival also honoured several figures who have made lasting contributions to Egyptian theatre and the arts. Those recognised included actresses Esaad Younes and Shahira, actors Ahmed Abdel Aziz and Ahmed Maher, theatre critic Hamdy El-Gabri, director Magdy Megahed and Ahmed El-Bahnawy, a veteran director of Egypt’s popular culture theatres.
