Seven plays in competition for awards

The 21st edition of the Mediterranean Theater Festival "Purgatory" in Tivat will be held from July 1 to August 31, the organizers of this festival from the Tivat Cultural Center announced yesterday.

"For two months, with 22 high-quality programs, Tivat will be the center of theater events in the region. The festival brings together the most popular theaters and prominent creators in the field of dramatic art from the country and abroad," the management of the Tivat Cultural Center said.

The festival will be officially opened with the premiere performance of the play "Dirty Hands", based on the text Jean Paul Sartre, directed by Jugo Radivojević, produced by the Tivat Cultural Center. This is a significant theater project that, through a contemporary directorial approach and thoughtful stage interpretation, brings a new reading of the classic dramatic work and its layered political and existential themes. The acting ensemble of the new Tivat theater production consists of: Miloš Biković, Lazar Đurđević, Lara Dragović, Masa Labudović, Dušan Kovačević, Jelica Vukčević, Pavle Bogojević i Igor Damnjanovic.

The festival's competitive selection, as chosen by the selectors Dragiše Ćurguza, makes up the seven most popular theatre titles from the region in the past season. In addition to the premiere title of the host, the selection also includes “Ode to Joy, directed by Gordan Kičić - Atelje 212 Belgrade, “Bollywood”, directed by Kokan Mladenović - Podgorica City Theatre, “Carmina Burana”, directed by Kokan Mladenović - Gavella City Drama Theatre Zagreb, “King Ibi”, directed by Staše Koprivice - Belgrade Drama Theatre Belgrade, “Mrs. Olga”, directed by Jug Đorđević - National Theatre in Belgrade and National Theatre of Republika Srpska - Banja Luka, and “Richard the Second”, directed by Boris Liješević - Yugoslav Drama Theatre Belgrade.

In addition to the play "Dirty Hands", this summer's festival audience can expect two more premiere titles, co-produced by the Tivat Cultural Center and renowned partners from Croatia: with the Gavella Zagreb City Drama Theater, the play "Michelangelo Buonarroti", according to the text Miroslav Krleža, directed by Drazen Ferenčine, and with the Marin Držić Theatre from Dubrovnik “Peer Gynt”, based on the text Henrik Ibsen, directed by Paola Tišljarić.

The accompanying program will feature six more mostly award-winning titles produced by the Tivat Cultural Center, a play for children by the Sarajevo Youth Theater, as well as an author's project. Mark Janketic "Mrki, I didn't tell you."

As a special festival segment this year, "Jagoš's Week" was created, within which three iconic theater titles directed by him will be performed in the first week of August. Jagos Markovic: "Hasanaginica", "Filomena Marturano" and "Celava pjevacica" which will experience its fiftieth jubilee performance.

The festival will close on August 31st with the Yugoslav Drama Theatre's play "The People's Representative", directed by Branislav Nušić. Vita Taufer, when a three-member regional jury headed by the celebrated actress Ljiljana Blagojevic announce the decision on the festival laureates and ceremonially present the awards.

All programs will be held at the Summer Stage in Tivat and in the Great Hall of the Tivat Cultural Center.

"Purgatory 2026" brings a carefully designed program in which classical and contemporary theatrical expressions meet, with a strong authorial stamp and Mediterranean spirit, transforming Tivat into one of the key points of the regional theater scene this summer, concludes the Tivat Cultural Center.