Algerian Radio
Eighteen plays will compete in the 18th National Festival of Professional Theatre (FNTP), scheduled from December 22 to January 1, 2026, in Algiers. Organizers announced on Wednesday that these will be featured alongside a series of alternative performances.
Held under the theme "The Stage Shortens Distances...", the 18th FNTP offers a program that includes 18 shows in competition, eight alternative performances, street theater performances, as well as master classes and several thematic conferences.
Speaking at a press conference dedicated to presenting the program, Festival Commissioner Mr. Mohamed Yahiaoui emphasized that this 18th edition "reflects the spirit of the festival," which aims to be "a place of dynamic exchange where creativity, professionalism, experimentation, and research merge."
The FNTP, he maintained, represents a vision that "summarizes the conviction that the stage is a passageway between worlds, a place of listening, proximity, and encounter."
In addition to the Mahiéddine Bachtarzi National Theatre (TNA), which is competing with the play "Djanazat Ayoub" (Ayoub's Funeral), 16 other performances from regional theaters and a play titled "El Hachim" from the Higher Institute of Performing Arts and Audiovisual Professions (ISMAS) are participating in the competition. This 2025 edition of the FNTP is dedicated to Abdelah Hamlaoui, a prominent figure in Algerian theater.
Among the plays in the running are "Palestine Trahie" (Palestine Betrayed) from the Tizi Ouzou Regional Theatre, "Carnaval Romain" (Roman Carnival) from the Constantine Regional Theatre, "Ennafida" (The Window) from the Nâama Regional Theatre, "Ibadate" (Genocides) from the Sidi Bel Abbès Regional Theatre, and "Mim Noun" from the Skikda Regional Theatre.
The show "Waratha" (Heirs) will be presented as an alternative performance during the official opening of the event, scheduled at the TNA.
Several awards recognizing the best show, script, directing, music, scenography, and acting (male and female), among others, will be presented at the closing of the festival.
Parallel to the main competition, eight shows will be presented "out of competition" at the Algiers-Centre Municipal Theatre, according to the organizers.
On the sidelines of the performances, training workshops dedicated notably to children's theater and theater criticism are also included in this edition's program, in addition to conferences and thematic meetings focused on scenography and dramatic writing.
