The National Theater Festival in Bucharest invited five foreign productions to join the lineup of this year's edition, scheduled for October 18-28 in Bucharest. The program thus includes shows from Germany, Ireland, Poland (two), and Belgium.

On the first day of the festival, the public will have the opportunity to see the show Dance Me! at the National Theater in Bucharest (TNB). A second performance will take place the following day, on October 19.

Created by She She Pop, an art collective from Berlin, the production Dance Me! is described as "a dance marathon, a competition between two generations." The stage becomes an arena in which the members of She She Pop and their guests play the roles of old people facing off against a group of young performers.

Meanwhile, Irish company Dead Centre's production of Lippy is scheduled for October 19 and 20 at TNB. The group, created in 2012 in Dublin, has established itself with this title both nationally and internationally, presenting shows in major theaters of the world. The show, directed by Ben Kidd and Bush Moukarzel, to a text by Bush Moukarzel, was created with the support of Arts Council Ireland and further developed with the help of the Dublin Fringe Festival and The National Theater Studio.

From Poland come the shows The Last Days of Elena and Nicolae Ceaușescu and Grandmothers' Stories Whispered to Daughters by Mothers. The first can be seen on October 21 at TNB, while the second is scheduled for October 25.

The CAMPO Art Center in Ghent, Belgium, will present Mémé, a performance by Sarah Vanhee, together with her guests - puppets, spirits and a child - on October 25 and 26 at Teatrul Mic. This creation represents "the relationship with the ancestors, with the native land, with the woman's body."

Further details are available here.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: the organisers; by Jenny Abrahams)