Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
Oct 22 2004

Theatre groups from 30 nations to take part in monodrama festival

By Tahseen Shaghouri

Staff Reporter

Fujairah: Theatrical groups from more than 30 countries are expected
to take part in the Fujairah International Monodrama Festival in its
second year. Monodrama involves a production where just one performer
takes part and presents a story.

Two local plays prepared by the Dibba Al Fujairah Association for
Arts and Theatre will participate in the cultural festival which is
scheduled to be held from December 8 to 20.

`Celebrities from the region and the wider world will be invited to
attend the festival, to join a number of leading figures from
international festivals and other folkloric musical bands,’ said
Mohammad Saeed Al Danhani, a UAE national playwright and president of
the festival.

He said the successful hosting of the first international theatrical
festival in Fujairah last year had helped establish a strong local
theatrical movement supported by the Fujairah Government.

The Dibba Al Fujairah theatrical group was invited to participate in
several international cultural festivals such as festivals in Italy
and Russia.

`We have also been invited to take part in four major monodrama
festivals in the next four months in India, Russia, Germany and
Romania,’ said Al Danhani. The coming festival will feature plays
from Estonia, Armenia, India, Argentina, the UK and Africa.

The participating plays will be performed on several stages
throughout theatres in the emirate to enable as many people as
possible to attend.