Tunis: The 26th edition of the Carthage Theatre Days (JTC), slated for November 22-29, 2025, is set to be a vibrant and socially engaged event, featuring over 80 performances from Tunisia, the Arab world, Africa, and beyond. Held under the theme ‘Theatre, Conscience and Change, Theatre, the Beating Heart of the Street,’ this edition aims to make the stage a space for dialogue and social transformation, maintaining the festival’s civic spirit.
According to Agence Tunis Afrique Presse, the programme was unveiled during a press conference at the Chedly Klibi City of Culture in Tunis, attended by the organising committee chaired by theatre director Mounir Ergui. The official competition includes 12 plays, alongside a wide range of non-competitive performances, featuring 15 international works in the Theatre of the World section and 16 Tunisian productions in the National Theatre section.
The festival will also highlight the richness of works from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Libya with six productions in the Arab and African section. In addition, six amateur theatre productions form part of the lineup. The Theatre of Freedom programme, produced in penal institutions, will present 16 works, and 12 performances are dedicated to children and youth.
Artistic director Mounir Ergui emphasized that this edition ‘brings theatre back to the heart of social life while maintaining the festival’s support for Arab causes, especially Palestine.’ The opening night will feature the Egyptian play ‘King Lear’ directed by Shady Sorour Ali and performed by Yehia El-Fakharani, along with ‘Dream,’ a new creation by Tunisian director Fadhel Jabi.
In the official competition, Tunisia will be represented by ‘Les Fugueuses’ by Wafa Taboubi and ‘Jacaranda’ by Nizar Sadi. They will compete with productions from Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, the UAE, C´te d’Ivoire, and South Africa. The jury, chaired by Lassaad Ben Abdallah, includes prominent theatre professionals from Kuwait, Algeria, Congo, Syria, and Tunisia.
Awards will include the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Tanit, as well as prizes for Best Text, Best Scenography, Best Female Performance, and Best Male Performance. The Theatre of the World section features productions from France, Senegal, Italy, Iceland, Mexico, Armenia, Iran, Colombia, Poland, Spain, and Russia, offering a diverse panorama of contemporary theatre.
Numerous Tunisian theatre figures will be honored, including Lela Rezgui and Fethi Akkari, along with Latefa Ahrar from Morocco, Emad Mohsen Al Shanfari from Oman, and Abdramane Kamat© from C´te d’Ivoire. Special tributes will celebrate artists like Aziza Boulabiar and Yehia El-Fakharani, who have significantly influenced the Maghreb and African theatre scene.
The International Theatre Forum, running from November 24-26, will explore the theme ‘Theatre Artist: His Time and His Work,’ featuring participants from ten countries. Founded in 1983 by Tunisia’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the Carthage Theatre Days is one of the oldest theatre festivals in the Arab and African worlds, fostering a space for encounter, experimentation, and reflection among creators from the Arab, African, and Mediterranean theatre scenes.