06. 10. 2009.

The 49th MESS to welcome guests from 13 countries

This year, in its 49^th edition, the MESS International Theatre Festival will, between 16 and 26 October 2009, gather in Sarajevo over 500 guests – artists, actors, directors, theatre critics and other theatre professionals in 13 countries.

Among the many renowned guests from the world of theatre who will present their achievements for MESS audiences to enjoy, is also esteemed Argentinean directress Constanza Macras, whose production of “Hell on Earth”, performed by German theatre company “Dorkypark”, will launch this year’s MESS Festival programme. Also a guest at MESS will be Macedonian-born Ivan Popovski, today of the Russia’s most significant directors, who will present the play “Vremena Goda” (Times of the Godes). A visually powerful performance, this play will undoubtedly attract the particular attention   of the MESS Festival’s demanding audiences.

This year’s 49^th MESS also has the pleasure to host one of the most significant achievements of Hungarian theatre, the play “Ice”, directed by Mandruszo Kornel. Also attending this year’s Festival will be Paolo Magelli (Italy), who will present a performance produced in Croatian, as well as Aleksandar Popovski from Macedonia, with a play by the Yugoslav Drama Theatre in Belgrade. Furthermore, "Isabella's Room" is also an interesting story about the great problems of 20th-century Europe, as seen by Belgian director Jan Lauwers, and performed on stage by the Needcompany Theatre Troupe.

These names and plays serve to announce an exciting 11 days of theatre, which will, in spite of all the financial hardships that this year’s MESS has faced, offer theatergoers acclaimed, contemporary productions.

The official programme of the 49^th MESS Festival will be announced at the Festival’s first official press conference on 8 October 2009, and, following that, on the Festival’s official website, www.mess.ba, which will also provide daily updates of all Festival events.