The Azerbaijan Culture Ministry in collaboration with Shaki City Executive Power and the Azerbaijan Theater Workers Union are pleased to announce the 4th International Theater Festival.

The festival will take place in the city of Shaki on December 1-5, with the support and participation of various institutions.

The international festival, dedicated to the 145th anniversary of the establishment of national professional theatre in Shaki, will feature performances from various countries as well as local theatre companies.

The five-day event is expected to start with a performance based on the romantic comedy "Much Ado About Nothing" by the renowned English playwright William Shakespeare to be staged by Shaki State Drama Theater.

"Much Ado About Nothing" is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599. The play was included in the First Folio, published in 1623.

The play tells the story of noble families and aristocrats in medieval Italy and the romantic events that befall them. Its main themes involve friendship, betrayal, love, and the triumph of good over evil.

This premiering performance will be directed by the theater's chief director, Honored Artist Mirbala Salimli, with the set design by Sahib Ahmadov and costume design by Dilshad Shirnova.

The cast includes Honored Artists Khanlar Hashimzade, Abulfat Salahov, Rahim Gojayev, as well as actors Khayal Salahov, Arzu Mustafayeva, Aytaj Ismayilzade, Rashid Mirizade, Parviz Ismayilov, Chingiz Novruzaliyev, and others.