German director Thomas Ostermeier will stage William Shakespeare’s masterpiece “Hamlet” during the 34th edition of the Fajr International Theater Festival, which will open in Tehran on January 22. 

The internationally-acclaimed play will be competing with 15 other plays at the international section of the festival, Managing Director of the section Mehrdad Rayani-Makhsus said in a press conference on Sunday. 

“Hamlet” has won several international awards including the Barcelona Critics Prize in 2009. 

In Chile, the play was awarded with the Best International Production of 2011, while in 2012 it was also honored at the 18th Istanbul Theatre Festival. 

Born in 1968 in Soltau, Ostermeier has been resident director and member of the Artistic Direction of the Schaubuhne, the famous theater in the Wilmersdorf district of Berlin, since 1999. 

“A House in Asia” by Agrupacion Senor Serrano, a company dedicated to the performing arts in Spain, “Hedda Gabler”, Henrik Ibsen’s most performed play from Norway, “Body Revolution” from Belgium, and “B Lala”, a play directed by Iranian director Yasser Khaseb are among the competing plays. 

Other plays are coming from Hungary, Iraq, Poland, Georgia and Japan, Rayani-Makhsus said. 

“Some of the plays are also scheduled to go on stage in the two cities of Tabriz and Mashhad as well during the festival”, he added. 

He added that the plays have been selected from 225 submissions. 

Different theaters will be hosting the performances. The time and the schedule will be announced later, he concluded. 

Photo: A thespian from German director Thomas Ostermeier’s troupe acts in a scene from “Hamlet” in an undated performance. 

source : Tehran times