A theatre festival presenting 50th shows of five plays is going on at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Organised by theatre troupe Nattyatirtha the five-day theatre festival, titled “Ponchodosher Ponchodin” is being participated by three guest troupes and the host troupe.
Somoy will stage its acclaimed play at 7pm Sunday at the National Theatre Hall of BSA.
Shesh Sanglap, a satirical play, is an adaptation of noted Egyptian playwright Tewfiq al-Hakim’s The Sultan’s Dilemma. The play has been translated into Bangla by Syed Jamil Ahmed and M Saiful Alam. Aktaruzzaman is the director of the play.
Tewfiq al-Hakim is considered both the founder of modern Egyptian drama and the man who has given the drama the same prestige in the Arab world that the others literary forms enjoyed. Though he has written novels, short stories and poems as well, however, his reputation as a man of letters rests upon his plays. The play was written not long after the invasion of Egypt by Britain, France and Israel.
Earlier, on June 13 afternoon, amid much colour and enthusiasm, the festival was inaugurated by Ramendu Majumdar, president of worldwide International Theatre Institute, at the premise of National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Theatre personality Mamunur Rashid was present as the chief guest of the programme. Jhuna Chowdhury attended the the event as a special guest.
Inauguration ceremony of the festival was enriched with traditional song recitals by musical troupe Baul Bazar. The opening day’s play was Majhrater Manushera staged by Loko Natyadal (Shiddheswari). The play is a depiction and demonstration of a few individuals who wander at the dead of the night and who are engaged, intentionally or unintentionally, in evil-doings.
Regarding the festival, Tapan Hafiz, president of the theatre troupe, said: “We will also confer Natyabondhu award on five theatre activists who have helped Natyatirtha in its nine-year journey.”
The host troupe will stage "Dwip" on Monday.
