Youth Theatre to become first Georgian festival troupe in Albania’s UNESCO-recognised city

Tbilisi's Nodar Dumbadze Professional State Youth Theatre will become the first Georgian troupe to perform for theatre-goers flocking to the UNESCO World Heritage Site city of Butrint in Albania to attend International Festival of Theatre 'Butrinti 2000'.

Presenting their stage adaptation of William Shakespeare's 1623-published play Much Ado About Nothing, the company will celebrate the 15th edition of the festival that has hosted over 60,000 local and visiting theatre-goers since its founding.

Director Dimitri Khvtisiashvili's staging of the Shakespeare work will go on stage of the Ancient Amphitheatre Butrint on July 17, with the festival launching four days earlier.

Actors perform in 'Much Ado About Nothing' at the Tbilisi theatre. Photo: Irakli Gedenidze/Professional State Youth Theatre.

The Georgian company was invited to perform at the festival along with local and international theatres including the Albanian Dance Theatre Company, Thesis Theatre Company from Greece and National Theatre of Beijing.

Established in 2000 by Albania's National Centre of the Mediterranean Theatre, the Butrinti 2000 festival is promoted as "one of the most important contemporary performing arts events in the region".

It is hosted annually in the ancient city of Butrint, known for its monuments of historical importance.

The Ancient Amphitheatre Butrint hosts theatre shows during the annual festival. Photo: Butrinti 2000 festival.

Following their appearance at the festival, the Professional State Youth Theatre will also present the Shakespeare play for the Georgian diaspora of Thessaloniki, Greece on July 20.

Founded in 1928, the Tbilisi troupe has produced and performed works based on plays by Georgian and foreign playwrights including Shakespeare, Friedrich Schiller and Oscar Wilde.