Albania invited to participate in London’s Globe to Globe

The participation in the Globe to Globe Internal Theatre Festival in London will be the second major event for the Albanian National Theatre.
Beginning on 21 April 2012, the Globe will present an unprecedented programme of multi-lingual Shakespeare productions as part of a once-in-a-lifetime celebration for the London 2012 festival. 37 international companies will present Shakespeare’s plays in a different language over six weeks.
The Albanian Theatre will perform at the Globus Theatre from May 9 to 14 2012, part II of Shakespare’s Henry VI known as the Balkan Trilogy.
The Globe to Globe season, part of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival, is unique being the first time Shakespeare’s full works have been presented back-to-back in entirely different languages. The season will also present a Balkan trilogy of Henry VI, uniting Serbia, Albania and Macedonia on stage for the first time.
The British Ambassador to Albania Fiona McIlwham said that “Albania hits well above its weight in the quality and range of its contributions across the range of creative arts, and this is recognised by the invitation to join 36 other companies from around the world in presenting Shakespeare’s 37 plays in 37 different languages. It is a great honour for the Albanian National Theatre to become part of that great and long tradition. Look forward very much to seeing the debut performance in Tirana before the cast take “Henri i Gjashti, pjesa e dyte” to London.”
Almost 400 years after his death, Shakespeare remains a global icon and a British national treasure. His works have been translated into hundreds of languages and are well-known around the world. Since the Globe Theatre opened in 1997, it has become an international focus point for the study of Shakespeare, and has gained a reputation for excellence in performance and historical study.