Five international theatrical troupes from the United States, Italy, Spain, Ukraine and Bulgaria have been invited to participate in this year’s edition of the festival scheduled for July 12 to 18
TIRANA, June 19 – After a two-year absence due to lack of financial support, the Butrint International Theatre Festival will return this summer with its 12 edition in the southernmost Albania Butrint archeological park, a UNESCO World Heritage List since 1992.
Five international theatrical troupes from the United States, Italy, Spain, Ukraine and Bulgaria have been invited to participate in this year’s edition of the festival scheduled for July 12 to 18.
Albania and Kosovo are expected to participate with Oedipus the King, an ancient Greek tragedy staged last March by the Tirana and Prishtina national theatres.
Alfred Bualoti, the festival’s director, says that despite the delays, modest budget and the unpleasant electoral campaign atmosphere they are happy that the 12th edition of the Butrint international festival is finally back after a two-year absence.
The Culture Ministry has supported the festival with only 4 million lek (around Euro 28,000), which is only a quarter of the festival’s best budget of 12 million lek when nine troupes were invited to perform.
“The financial support is tragicomic but despite this we will do our best. The elections atmosphere is not very favourable but we will bring post-electoral entertainment to tourists,” says Bualoti.
In its latest edition in 2010, the Butrint festival brought together troupes from Russia, Macedonia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Albania.
Butrint 2000 is an annual theatre festival that takes place on a historic site in the South- Albanian town of Butrinti, on the shore of Lake Butrint. The festival started in 2000 and has presented works by Albanian artists, as well as more than 50 companies coming from Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, UK, USA, France, Russia, Sweden etc. It is also a measure to promote cultural tourism in Albania, as Butrinti is only a short ferry ride away from the island of Corfu.
