About this event
Four days of theatre directed by women
The fourth Jassad International Women Theatre Directors Festival takes place in Rabat from Tuesday 27 to Friday 30 October 2026. Jassad means “body” in Arabic, a suggestive starting point for an event concerned with stage presence, theatrical writing and women’s approaches to artistic creation. The festival’s supplied programme brings together six productions representing Morocco, the host country, alongside Egypt, Spain, Greece and France.
The edition offers a meeting of distinct directing practices rather than a single theatrical style. Text, voice, movement and visual expression provide different ways of approaching intimate relationships, isolation, memory and human experience. These concerns emerge particularly in the descriptions provided for Goodnight, Mother, Letters from the Dead Pavilion and Iqtibās.
The programme, day by day
On 27 October at 8pm, the Mohammed V National Theatre presents Goodnight, Mother, the Egyptian production directed by Nour Ismail. Two performances follow on 28 October: the Moroccan جنازة الأزهار, directed by إيمان جفري, at 5.30pm at Al Mansour Theatre, and Spain’s Yo soy gente rara, directed by Loli Botello, at 8pm at Bahnini Hall.
On 29 October, the Greek production Letters from the Dead Pavilion, directed by Natalia Georgosopoulou, is scheduled for 5.30pm at Al Mansour Theatre. Sarah M.’s Iqtibās follows at Bahnini Hall, with an 8pm start stated in the festival programme. The final day, 30 October, features Dialy, directed by Naïma Zitan, at Bahnini Hall at 7pm. The linked daily pages provide a closer look at each date and its practical details.
A route through Rabat’s stages
The six scheduled performances use three venues: the Mohammed V National Theatre on Avenue Al Mansour Addahbi; Bahnini Hall at 1 Rue Gandhi; and Al Mansour Theatre on Rue Al Baraka in Yacoub El Mansour, opposite the Al Horia tram stop according to the festival’s directions.
Two further spaces appear on the partner-venue list: Théâtre Aquarium at Résidence Balima on Avenue Mohammed V, and the Institut français’s Gérard Philipe Hall at 1 Avenue Abou Inane. Their inclusion does not establish an additional performance at either location. Activities and times for those two spaces are not specified in the material supplied.
Planning your visit
Start times vary across the four days, with performances at 5.30pm, 7pm or 8pm. On the two dates featuring shows at both Al Mansour Theatre and Bahnini Hall, allow for travel between venues. As running times have not been provided for every production, attending both performances cannot be guaranteed without checking when the first ends.
Ticket prices, booking arrangements, performance languages and surtitles have not been announced for the programme as a whole. Free admission and festival passes are not confirmed. For Iqtibās, the Institut français gives a running time of 75 minutes, French and Darija as the performance languages, and a recommended age of 14 and above. Its page lists 7pm, while the festival programme lists 8pm: reconfirm the start time before travelling.
Why follow Jassad?
With productions from five countries gathered within four days, Jassad offers a compact way to encounter different approaches to theatre directing. Rabat audiences can follow the artistic contrasts from one evening to the next, while visitors can use the programme as a route through the capital’s performance spaces. The international line-up makes room for a range of women’s artistic voices rather than treating their work as a uniform category.
Explore the other festival days
- Jassad in Rabat, 27 October 2026: Goodnight, Mother
- Jassad in Rabat, 28 October 2026: Morocco and Spain
- Jassad in Rabat, 29 October 2026: Letters from the Dead Pavilion and Iqtibās
- Jassad in Rabat, 30 October 2026: Dialy by Naïma Zitan
- Things to do in Rabat
Programme supplied by the festival. Further information: Jassad · Théâtre Mohammed V · Iqtibās — Institut français.
