Dr. Enas Abdel Dayem, Minister of Culture, launched the activities of the 15th edition of the Egyptian National Theater Festival.

The Festival was held under the slogan "The Egyptian Theatrical Director", during the period from July 24 to August 8, 2022, at the Grand Theater of the Egyptian Opera House, with the participation of 34 theatrical performances from various production agencies.

Taking place in 16 theatre halls in Cairo, the festival’s free-entry activities include seminars that are available through its website and newly launched mobile-app.

As part of the festival, which is focusing on Egyptian directors, 12 books were released, e three workshops were held, and 34 plays were staged as part of competitions judged by a jury headed by Mahmoud El-Hediny.

The Opening Ceremony 

Presented by actor Diaa Abdel-Khalek, the opening ceremony featured a speech from Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem, Festival President Youssef Ismail, and Festival Manager Ismail Mokhtar — the head of the Artistic Theatre House.

During the opening, a new show titled Ya Aziz Einy — which was written by Safaa El-Tokhy and directed by Essam El-Sayed — was staged. The show stars Mohamed Fahim, Hassan Abdallah, Ibtihal El-Serety, and others.

With poems written by Mostafa Ibrahim and music composed by Haitham El-Khamisy, Ya Aziz Einy is based on El-Tokhy’s book about iconic director Aziz Eid, who is being honoured in this year's edition of the festival.

The Honoree

The Minister of Culture honored 10 theatrical figures in the fields of directing, acting and decoration:

Mohamed Soby, 74, launched his fruitful career in 1968, performing in over 40 theatre shows, 22 films, and 25 TV series, with many being among the most popular Arab classics.

With Al-Karnak (1975) and Hona Al-Qahera (1985) being among his most notable films, Sobhy was also the creator of Enta Horr, El-Joker, El-Hamagy, Takhareef, Weghet Nazar, and other significant plays.

A graduate of the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts, Sobhy garnered a huge fan-base through his few but influential series, including Sonbol and Yawmeyat Wanis, which aired between 1994 and 2013, with a total of about 300 episodes.

The event also honoured nine other figures who boosted the Egyptian theatre in directing, acting, and décor, including Sabry Abdel-Moneim, Aida Fahmy, Essam El-Sayed, Nasser Abdel-Moneim, Mourad Mounir, Fady Fokeh, and Ahmed Ismail, in addition to late Abdel-Rehim El-Zorkany, and Amina Rizk.