Spain will have a prominent artistic presence at the 33rd edition of the Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre (CIFET), which will be held from 1 to 8 September 2026. The programme includes two distinctive productions: “TRÍPTICO: Clásicos Españoles” (Triptych: Spanish Classics) by puppet company Teatro Los Claveles, which will be performed on 2 and 3 September at the Metropole Theatre at 6pm, and “El jardín de las Hespérides” (The Garden of the Hesperides), a contemporary dance-theatre production directed by Alicia Soto-Hojarasca, scheduled for 5 September at the Al Hanager Theatre at 6pm.
Alongside the festival, renowned director Paco Gámez will lead the workshop “Theatre Creation Laboratory in Non-Conventional Spaces” from Monday to Thursday, from 11.30am to 5pm, at Beit El Senary, concluding with a final presentation on 17 September. The workshop is being presented within the framework of the Artistic Residencies and Capacity Building Programme 2026 (EUNIC Egypt) and implemented by Wasla Arts with the support of the European Union.
“TRÍPTICO: Clásicos Españoles”, presented by Teatro Los Claveles, is an adult puppet theatre project created in 1993 by Paca García and Aniceto Roca, artists who have worked in this art form since 1982.
Through pure puppetry performed directly on a table and using simple materials without advanced technology, the company relies on the beauty of timeless words while separating voice from emotion. This minimalist production has toured festivals around the world, including in South Korea, Mexico, Argentina and Norway, and revisits three fundamental works of Spanish literature: the 15th-century medieval “Romance del Enamorado y la Muerte”, in which a lover has one hour to outwit his tragic fate; the famous windmill scene from Miguel de Cervantes’ 17th-century “Don Quixote de la Mancha”; and the iconic “sofa scene” from José Zorrilla’s 19th-century “Don Juan Tenorio”, in which the protagonist deploys his powers of seduction before Doña Inés.
“El jardín de las Hespérides” is a dance-theatre production directed and choreographed by Alicia Soto-Hojarasca and conceived as a universal hymn to female identity. The work intertwines Greek mythology with ancestral imagery from Morocco.
The production reflects the distinguished career of Alicia Soto, a creator, dancer and educator from Burgos who holds a degree in Choreography from the Institut del Teatre de Barcelona. After receiving a prestigious postgraduate scholarship to train in Germany under the direction of legendary choreographer Pina Bausch at the Folkwang Dance Studio, Soto founded her company, Alicia Soto-Hojarasca, in 1994.
She has established herself as a leading figure in Spain through her constant innovation, pioneering use of multimedia in dance, strong social commitment through inclusion projects and rural residencies, and an outstanding international career that has earned her several awards.
Meanwhile, Paco Gámez’s workshop focuses on theatrical creation in non-conventional spaces through personal narratives and site-specific practices. Participants will create original texts and performance proposals aimed at diverse audiences, exploring the relationships between the body, space, memory, reality and fiction.
The process will include dramaturgy, improvisation, staging and presentation formats, encouraging experimentation with audience interaction and unexpected contexts.
Gámez, born in 1982, is a director, actor, teacher and one of the most awarded playwrights of his generation in Spain. His works include “Inquilino”, “Katana”, “El suelo que sostiene a Hande”, “Impunidad”, “El fin” and “Niebla y bruma”, which have premiered at leading theatres and cultural institutions in Spain and internationally in countries including Germany, Argentina, Mexico, the United States and the United Kingdom. His texts have been translated into more than a dozen languages.
Gámez holds degrees in English Philology and Dramatic Art, as well as a postgraduate degree in Performing Arts Studies.
The Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre (CIFET) aims to foster communication and dialogue among diverse theatre communities. It is one of the oldest international festivals specialising in providing opportunities for experimental theatre productions from around the world.
The festival will honour a number of international figures involved in experimental theatre and present awards for outstanding productions across various theatrical categories. It will also feature a series of specialised seminars.
