The festival will run from 25 July to 11 August, with productions staged at theatres across Cairo while also expanding its activities to other governorates, reflecting this year's theme, "In All of Egypt."
Unveiled at a press conference at the Cairo Opera House this week, the programme brings together a broad cross-section of Egypt's theatre community. The lineup spans contemporary Egyptian plays, experimental works, and new interpretations of internationally acclaimed classics.
Festival president Mohamed Riad said the selection aims to showcase every major branch of Egyptian theatre by bringing productions from state-funded companies, independent troupes, universities, civil society initiatives, and private producers under a single festival umbrella.
Among the most heavily represented institutions is the Artistic House for Theatre, which enters six productions into the festival, including Metwally and Shafiqa, Seventh Heaven, Al Teatro, Lucky Hour, Adagio, and Voluntary Prison.
The General Authority for Cultural Palaces will also compete with six productions, including Les Misérables, Night of the Assassins, The Day They Killed Singing, Sheikh Al Arab, Al Jabarti Margins, and As If Nothing Happened.
The programme also reflects the enduring influence of world literature on Egyptian theatre. Audiences can expect local adaptations of works such as Shakespeare's King Lear, Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, and Lionel Bart's Oliver, which will be presented under the title Oliver in Arabic, alongside a range of original Egyptian productions.
Independent theatre remains a key part of the festival, with productions including Miramar, Our Nights, Where No One Sees Me, Good Night, Mom, and The Desperate Ride the Train, offering a platform for voices outside the state theatre system.
In addition to performances, this year's edition places greater emphasis on dialogue about the future of Egyptian theatre.
A new intellectual forum will examine audience engagement under the theme, "Theatre and the Audience: Does the Audience Go to Theatre or Does Theatre Go to the Audience?"
The discussions will bring together theatre-makers, critics, and academics to explore ways of widening public participation and strengthening connections between performers and audiences.
The festival has also announced the juries for its various competitions. Director Khaled Galal will head the main awards panel, while separate committees will evaluate submissions in the playwrighting and theatre criticism categories.
Now in its 19th edition, the National Theatre Festival continues to serve as Egypt's principal showcase for theatrical production, bringing together established artists and emerging talent while reflecting the evolving direction of the country's performing arts scene.
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