Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports Blendi Gonxhja said today that, “Between September 2025 and May 2026, the National Theatre hosted 95 performances”.

The performances staged brought to the public a variety of works, interpretations and artistic emotions. From classical and contemporary dramas, to productions that addressed social and human themes, the season’s repertoire created the opportunity for a continuous dialogue between art and the spectator.

The public’s interest in theatrical performances was also reflected in the figures.

“During this season, over 20 thousand tickets were sold, while the income generated from their sale reached the value of over 10 million lekë”, said Gonxhja.

Minister Gonxhja stated that, “The magic on stage is only possible because of the hard work off stage. Behind every character and standing ovation is a dedicated team of artists and technicians making it happen every day”.

The balance of this season is not measured only by the number of performances, tickets sold or income generated. It represents above all a season filled with creativity, artistic experiences and emotions shared with the public. /k.s/a.f/p.s./

“Mother Tongue” was the title of the play staged in Shkodra, Korça and Tirana. The play has two women on focus; they converse on a heartfelt story about identity, memories, childhood, emigration and freedom.

With a simple, but meaningful scenography, “Mother Tongue” confronted the audience with the prejudices, misunderstandings and the need not to forget to dream in one’s mother tongue. The play conveys the message that the freedom of women is at the center of everything; without it, no free society can be built.

Every word and every silence in this play was like a reminder of the values ​​that unite us and of the dignity that must be protected every day. /r.e/a.f/p.s./

Directed by Albert Minga, the play attracted particular interest of Tirana art admirers with the tickets sold in record time.

Director Albert Minga told the media that he staged this play because of the messages the author conveys, which “fit” with the Albanian environment.

Set in a jury room, the story centers on the deliberation of a young man accused of murder, where twelve jurors confront their personal biases and struggle to reach a unanimous verdict. As tension mounts, the play reveals the intricate dynamics of human behavior and the moral responsibility of justice. The 12-men jury should decide the fate of the teenager accused of killing his abusive father. At first, they are almost unanimous in concluding that the youth is guilty, influenced by their background and upbringing. But one man dissents, declaring him “not guilty” and sowing some reasonable doubt. Eventually, he convinces the other jurors to look beyond their personal biases and support a unanimous “not guilty” verdict.

The cast includes prominent figures of Albanian theatre: Viktor Zhusti, Niko Kanxheri, Alfred Trebicka, Sokol Angjeli, Ligoraq Riza, Myzafer Zifla, Neritan Liçaj, Lulzim Zeqja, Besmir Bitraku, Florian Agalliu, Donald Shehu, and Igli Zarka.

The play first took the stage in San Francisco in 1955, and it was adopted into film, making its Broadway debut nearly 50 years later, in 2004.

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The selection of artistic projects will take place in two phases. In the first phase, the National Theatre will review the proposals based on the concept and artistic vision, while in the second phase, there will be assessed the financial aspect and will be calculated the limit fund. After the approval of the artistic proposals in phase I, the projects will be reviewed and evaluated by calculating the costs and the limit fund.

Among other things, the applicants will have to submit a clear summary of the Shakespeare work they intend to realize. An important point is the production platform where will be made a detailed summary of the stage-managing concept for the project, including the artistic vision for costumes and scenography. The content of the platform must include the vision and idea of ​​the work, the purpose of staging it and the significance it will have for the public.

The deadline for applications will be from today (March 17) until April 11, 2025. /e.r/ /a.g/p.s./

They are in Tirana in context of the Pact of Free Cities summit.

Mayor Veliaj gave the good news that the substructure of the New Theater has been completed and that work for construction of the building superstructure will begin very soon.

“I feel happy that in the year when Tirana holds the title of Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue, the New Theater is being built, a work that will remain with the city forever. We will also have a space to preserve the nostalgia of the old theater, but in the meantime we are constructing a building for the next 100 years, a building for all the art lovers and of course, a worthy building for the artists”, said Veliaj.

On his part, Architect Bjarke Ingels said that the transformation that the city of Tirana has undergone is incredible. “I came to Tirana for the first time in 2010 and the transformation that has taken place is incredible. Within a year, we are expected to see the entire building and then we will start dealing with the interior works,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mayor of Bratislava Matus Vallo said he is looking forward to such a building being built in his country, too. “I saw the project as I am an architect by profession myself. I know of course what BIG or Bjarke Ingels architecture means and I want to say that it is amazing,” Vallo concluded. /r.e/p.s./

Prime Minister Edi Rama shared today in the social media a view of the renovated Puppet Theater.

“Soon, the Puppet Theater will open its doors to all the little children, in the heart of “Scanderbeg” Square with new and exciting performances,” Rama emphasized.

The National Puppet Theater has been completely renovated, in accordance with contemporary standards of audio-visual performances, with a stage and a multifunctional auditorium.

The building of the National Puppet Theater was built in the 1920s and initially housed the first Albanian Parliament. In the 1950s, it was expanded and became the Puppet Theater. Besides damage over the years from time depreciation, the building also suffered structural damage during the 2019 earthquake. /a.f/r.e/p.s./

From October 29 to November 2, over 80 international guests, including festival selectors, theatre critics and journalists as well as various theater professionals from other countries, will gather in Tirana for a diverse program of theatre performances, discussion panels, promotional events for playwrights and young theatre artists as well as educational events.

In total, there will be presented 10 theatre performances from Albania, Kosovo, Greece and Serbia, as well as there will be dozens of follow-up events for theatre, dramaturgy and theatre criticism.

The program will open with the “Lule Sajza” show, a production of the National Experimental Theatre “Kujtim Spahivogli”, while it will be followed by a unique performance of the polyphonic group “Bashkimi” at 19:00 at the official opening ceremony of the festival. The first day will continue with the premiere of the play “Fausti” produced by the National Theatre of Albania.

For six years in a row, this event of international proportions has been held in Prishtina and has been a promotional and networking platform for the local theatre scene. This year, the Multimedia Center has expanded this platform also in Albania, with the aim of promoting the Albanian theatre scene. /p.s./

The Festival’s director Adonis Filipi told reporters on Friday that the international festival event has significantly helped Albania improve its image in the world and has promoted the city’s civic and artistic values.

“It is important to highlight the event’s dimension as it promotes Albanian cultural and artistic values around the world. Over the last 26 years we have conveyed the message that Albanians know to develop and preserve our traditions and values,” he said.

Theatre troupes from Greece, France, Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia etc will take place in the 26^th edition of this festival.

Every second autumn – the Skampa Festival shows its generosity by wearing its artistic cloak on the stage environments and the attractive open spaces of the city with contemporary theater and a variety of parallel events such as workshops, presentations, exhibitions, concerts, and meetings. Over the years, the festival has welcomed hundreds of artists, prominent names of the Albanian and international scene, theaters, and theater companies from over 50 countries around the world. Born at the turn of the century, this festival essentially meant the presence of hope, of the need for a new dimension of our human existence.

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Veliaj highlighted the good pace with which the works are progressing, but also the quality of the construction, adding that the construction of the Theater building frame is expected to be finished by 2025.

“This is a real work of art! So, not only there will be art played inside the walls, but the Theater building itself is a work of art, which will remain with the city for the next 100 years”, said Veliaj.

If the works continue at this rate, he said that the New Theater will be completed in a year.

Veliaj positively assessed the cooperation with the well-known Danish company.

“I believe that with Bjarke Ingels Group, the well-known Danish company, we will add an extraordinary trace on the city. The fact that we have BIG from Denmark present here, as part of this bouquet of modern architecture, is really a great pleasure”, said Veliaj.

The mayor also said that the project also received praise from the Albanian actors, with whom he inspected the works a few days ago. Veliaj added that despite the fact that political opponents have chosen to fight a political battle by destroying, the ruling majority continues its mission to build.

On her part, the architect of the BIG company Catherine Huang said that she feels honored to have the opportunity to contribute to a beautiful city such as Tirana. /k.s/p.s./

Prime Minister Edi Rama shared today in the social media photos of the construction site of the New National Theater.

“The construction site of the New National Theater has entered a new phase that now enables a faster pace, to materialize the project of the Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels and his prestigious BIG studio, adding to Tirana not only the theater of European standards, but also another jewel of contemporary European architecture”, wrote Rama.

The new theater will have an auditorium space of 750 square meters and over 600 seats, with a balcony. There will also be a theater stage of 630 square meters and two Black Box halls of 200 square meters each.

For the artists, there will be a space of 200 square meters that will be used as a changing room, a rehearsal room of 200 square meters, toilets and showers as well as a green room.

In the service of various artistic performances, there will be a room for musical instruments, a warehouse for stage materials, a warehouse for decorations, a technical hall, etc. There will also be a lecture hall and all facilities for the public. /k.s/a.f/p.s./