The Mondial du Théâtre, also titled the International Festival of Amateur Theatre and the World Festival of Amateur Theatre is the premier festival in the world celebrating amateur and community theatre. It is organised by the Studio de Monaco and the International Association of Amateur Theatre and held every four years in the Principality of Monaco since its inaugural festival in 1957.
In 1957 Guy and Max Brousse and René Cellario, early leading figures of the International Association of Amateur Theatre, approached the Monegasque government to gain support for an International Festival. The first such festival, termed the International Festival of Amateur Theatre, took place in Monaco and attracted twelve troupes from across Europe at which the IATA held its 3rd Congress.
Both the festival and congress were a success and the Studio de Monaco, (the National Centre of the IATA), made an undertaking to organise every four years in the Principality of Monaco with the help of the Monegasque authorities, an International Festival and official Congress of IATA. The festival helped to increase the profile of the IATA and in turn as its stature grew so did that of the festival.
By the 1970s the number of participating drama troops had reached twenty, with countries from outside of Europe also participating. In 1997 a record 24 troupes from all 5 continents participated and this number has been maintained since. From that year the festival adopted a new name, the "Mondial du Théâtre".
The 2009 festival saw the following 24 countries represented:
Australia - Lieder Theatre Company (Goulburn) performing The colour play
Austria - Theater Abtenau Theater Holzhausen (Abtenau & Holzhausen) performing "My Monster" (Mein Ungeheuer) by Felix Mitterer
Belgium - Stalteater (Oelegem) performing "Cyrano" after Edmond Rostand
China - China Liaoning Province Art Association (Shenyang) performing Folk Arts by Kai Cui
Congo - Marabout Theatre (Kinshasa) performing Zérocrate by Nzey van Musala
Faroe Islands - Hudrar (Tórshavn) performing Othello after Shakespeare
Finland - Ylioppilasteatteri (Tampere) performing Kielipuolipolitas (Dumb Show) by Neil Hardwick & Jussi Tuominen
France - Théâtre du Torrent (Annemasse) performing Le Premier by Israel Horovitz
Germany - Dokumentartheater (Berlin) performing Tänzerin hinter Stacheldraht (Dancer behind barbwire) by de Marina Schubarth
Hungary - Kompania Theatre (Budakeszi) performing Roméo et Juliette after Shakespeare
India - Akhil Bharatiya Sanskrutik Sangh (Maharashtra) performing Maharashtra Maza
Indonesia - Satu Kata (Jakarta) performing Mission in Peace by Alika Chandra
Ireland - Balally Players (Dublin) performing Melody by Deirdre Kinahan
Italy - Teatro dei Picari (Macerata) performing Pulcinella by Manlio Santanelli
Japan - Kasai & Bungeiza (Toyama) performing The butterfly wavering in the wind by Takagi Toru & Haruka Kasai
Lithuania - Pasvalys Theatre (Pasvalys) performing Helver's Night by Ingmar Villqist
Morocco - Atlantis (Casablanca) performing Dounya
Peru - Maguey Teatro (Lima) performing Inticha y el Pajaro Nubero
Slovakia - Theatre A Theatre Shanti Prievidza (Prievidza) performing A respectable wedding by Bertolt Brecht
South Africa - Rebel Production (Johannesbourg) performing Father's sons by Craig Van Zyl
Spain - La Galerna Sosten Teatro (Gijón) performing Las Criadas (The Maids) by Jean Genet
Great Britain - Drama Association (Inverclyde) performing Tam o' Shanter by Robert Burns
United States - Heider Center for the Arts (West Salem, Wisconsin) performing Cotton Patch Gospel written by Clarence Jordan and Russell Treyz, original music by Harry and Tom Chapin
Venezuela - Perras del Infierno Teatro (Caracas) performing Passport by Gustavo Ott
The performances take place in some of the most beautiful theatres in the Principality of Monaco:
Salle Garnier - (Opéra de Monte-Carlo )
Princess Grace Theatre
Théâtre des Variétés
