DUSHANBE, April 5, Asia-Plus - International theatre festival, entitled Navrouz-2007, will open in Dushanbe on April 6.

According to the ministry of culture (MoC), the government staged the festival, providing 100,000 somonis for this purpose.

The source at a MoC said that the festival participants traditionally include professional theatres from Central Asia’s states, including Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.  However, the Academic Drama Theatre named after Tkhapsayev from North Ossetia (Russia) will is expected to participate in the Navrouz festival this year.  

The festival that will runs through April 9 will be held at the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Dushanbe and it will present performances, based on a wide range stories from folk epos to Shakespeare.  

The source noted that the Navrouz festival aims to promote expansion of cultural cooperation between the countries has been held since 1999 and it is held once four year.