Morocco's 26th National Theatre Festival concluded in Tetouan on 23 October 2026. Fez-based “Zone grise” won the Grand Prize and the dramatic writing award, while “Dabab” (“Brouillard” / “Fog”) collected four prizes—the highest total for a single production. Here is the complete list of winners, with links to the plays and artists featured on Culturama.
Two Fez productions at the centre of the awards
The closing ceremony at Tetouan's historic Teatro Español concluded eight days of stage productions, workshops and professional encounters. The 26th National Theatre Festival, held from 16 to 23 October by Morocco's Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication in partnership with the prefecture of Tetouan, featured ten productions in official competition. They were selected from 34 submissions, of which 24 met the eligibility requirements.
The awards drew particular attention to two companies from Fez: “Zone grise”, which secured the festival's top honour, and “Dabab”, which received four distinctions across artistic and technical categories.
“Zone grise” wins the Grand Prize and best dramatic writing
“Zone grise” (Grey Zone / منطقة رمادية), performed by the Fez-based Mubdiaoun wa Mubdiaat (Creators) company, won the Grand Prize. The play was directed by Ayoub Abou Nasr and written by Chaimae El Mouzine, who also received the dramatic writing award.
The drama follows a lawyer whose career collapses after a complex case, triggering emotional turmoil and tension in his marriage. Memories, suspicions and jealousy complicate his understanding of events, blurring the boundary between factual truth and troubled perception.
The two awards recognise both the production as a whole and its writing.
“Dabab” (“Fog”) claims four awards
The Fez-based Hib'Art for Culture and Arts company received four prizes for “Dabab” (Fog / ضباب). Meryem Zaïmi shared Best Direction with Amine Nasseur, honoured for “Al-Misaad” (The Elevator). Abdelhay Seghrouchni received the scenography award, and Asmaa Hamouch won for costume design.
Adil Abatourab also shared Best Male Performance with Mohamed Chahir, recognised for “Dalam” (Darkness). Written by Ayoub Abou Nasr and directed by Meryem Zaïmi, “Dabab” stages a family confrontation in which competing accounts of a past tragedy unsettle the search for truth.
With four distinctions, it was the edition's most-awarded production, although the Grand Prize went to “Zone grise”.
Complete winners list: Morocco's National Theatre Festival 2026
- Grand Prize: “Zone grise” — Mubdiaoun wa Mubdiaat company (Fez), directed by Ayoub Abou Nasr.
- Best Dramatic Writing: Chaimae El Mouzine — “Zone grise”.
- Best Direction (joint): Meryem Zaïmi — “Dabab”; Amine Nasseur — “Al-Misaad” (The Elevator).
- Best Scenography: Abdelhay Seghrouchni — “Dabab”.
- Best Costume Design: Asmaa Hamouch — “Dabab”.
- Best Female Performance (joint): Sandia Abou Tajeddine — “Circlage”; Zahra El Houari — “Dalam”.
- Best Male Performance (joint): Adil Abatourab — “Dabab”; Mohamed Chahir — “Dalam”.
- Hope Award (joint): Asmaa Lamine — “Three Eyes and a Cat” ; Othmane Yahyaoui — “Al-Misaad”.
Six cities represented in the official selection
The competition featured companies from Fez, Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat, Laâyoune and Al Hoceima. Alongside the prizewinning productions, the selection included “El Bahriya and El Raddad”, “Amr”, “Caïd El Oued” and “Sah Zine”, presented in Tetouan on 21 October.
The diversity of participating cities and companies underscored the festival's role as a national platform for different artistic approaches rather than the expression of one theatrical tradition.
Workshops, critical encounters and tributes
The programme also included performances outside competition, professional workshops, readings and book presentations. A discussion on theatre in the age of digital media examined the ways technology influences artistic practice and audience relationships.
The opening ceremony honoured Saïda Baaddi, Mohamed Abdessamad El Koukbi, Belaïd Akrides, Mohamed El Khamis and Mohamed Nachnach for their contributions to Morocco's theatre and cultural life.
Explore the award-winning productions
Readers can discover several recognised plays through Culturama's existing event pages: “Dabab”, “The Elevator”, “Dalam” and “Three Eyes and a Cat”. These pages may document earlier performances in other Moroccan cities, rather than specific showtimes at the Tetouan festival or new upcoming dates.
The 2026 edition therefore leaves more than an awards list: it brings renewed attention to Moroccan playwrights, directors, performers and the continued circulation of theatre between the country's cities.
Sources: Ministry of Culture — official selection ; Libération / MAP — festival winners ; Akhbarona — awards overview.
