34th Doha Theatre Festival from March 16

The 34th edition of Doha Theatre Festival will be held from March 16 to 27, aimed at reviving theatrical activities after the Covid-19 pandemic, and give all stakeholders an opportunity to present their best works, whether they are actors, directors or authors and playwrights.

The festival is also set to showcase the various culture activities in the country at their best, encouraging the artists and innovators to enhance their potentials in the field, explained Abdulrahim al-Siddiqi, director of Theater Affairs Center, at a press conference at Qatar National Theatre yesterday.

The festival itinerary includes five university plays, three plays from popular troupes, three officials forums, and a special theatrical show.

Al-Siddiqi pointed out that recordings of more than 350 plays since the 1970s until 2022 have been converted into a digital format, in addition to the posters, texts and photos of all the Qatari plays and theatrical works.

A soon to be launched platform of the Theater Affairs Center will showcase the Qatari theatrical heritage. Most of the content of this platform is set to be available for the public.

He said that the festival will open on March 16 with the play "Six Characters in Search for an Author" by the Community College of Qatar. On March 17, Qatar University will present a play, on March 18, there will be a performance by Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, on March 19 by University of Doha for Science and Technology, and on March 20 by Lusail University.

All the plays will be performed at the Drama Theatre at Katara - The Cultural Village. There will also be a number of performances by different private troupes starting from March 22. The official forums will be held at Katara Building 15 giving more focus on the history and heritage of the Qatari theatre by renowned experts in the field.

The festival will also receive a number of guests from Kuwait, Oman and Iraq while the final ceremony will be held on March 27 at Katara Opera House, which coincides with the celebration of the World Theatre Day.

HE the Minister of Culture Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani will sponsor the concluding ceremony of the festival, as he has played a major role in reviving the festival.