The U VENUE Theater in Doha, for the second year in a row, is set to embrace the 37th Doha Theatre Festival Wednesday.
The festival is organised by the Ministry of Culture, represented by the Theater Affairs Center, in collaboration with the Qatar Events Center.
The event reflects the ministry’s unflagging efforts to energise the cultural scene in Qatar by promoting outstanding theatrical performances in all their creative forms and by encouraging Qatari theatre-makers to keep pushing forward across all branches of the performing arts.
Ten theatrical productions are vying for honours at this festival, including the opening play A Notorious Being by Hamad al-Rumaihi, and notable entries such as Drowning by Talib al-Dous, Nine O’Clock by Mariam Nasser, You Are Invited to a Party by Fatima al-Amer, and The Stranger by Tamim al-Borshaid.
Other competing works include The Captain by Dr Khalid al-Jaber, Palm by Faisal Rashed, The Scent of Cardamom by Abdulrahman al-Mannai, Clowns Wanted by Taghreed al-Dawood, and Al Bahloul by Talib al-Dous.
The closing ceremony on May 31 will feature an awards presentation and a concluding showcase titled Theatre is the Audience.
The jury is chaired by Dr Huda al-Nuaimi and includes director Salem Majed al-Marzouqi, critic Dr Abdulkarim Jawad (Oman), Dr Mousa Arte (Kuwait), and director Essam el-Sayed (Egypt).
The festival also includes critical roundtables and applied symposia, with two dedicated sessions on May 24 and 27. Honourees include veteran figures nominated by the troupes, Youssef Ahmed, Saad al-Borshaid, and Ahmed al-Muftah.
Two commemorative books will be unveiled during the festival, chronicling the contributions of Dr Hassan Rashed and Faleh Fayez to the Qatari theatre movement.
Awards will span multiple categories, including best production, direction, writing, lead and supporting roles, scenography, musical composition, costume design, and emerging talent, with new additions for best overall production and best Arab guest performance.
The festival remains a core component of the Ministry of Culture’s broader vision to empower artists and foster a thriving theatrical landscape in Qatar.
