Convinced of the essential role of theatre in psychological and social rehabilitation, the Carthage Theatre Days reaffirm their commitment to the “Theatre of Freedom” programme. This section features creations produced within penitentiary institutions and rehabilitation centres, in collaboration with the General Administration of Prisons and Rehabilitation.
Its aim is to offer inmates and residents of these centres the opportunity to present their work to the Carthage Theatre Days audience, providing them with a space for artistic and personal expression while supporting their path toward social reintegration.
Participation of the General Committee for Prisons and Rehabilitation
1) Title: Container
Production: Manouba Women’s Prison
Text, Direction & Scenography : Rabeb Bouzidi
Scenery & Sound Design: Wafa Ayari, Olfa Ouahabi
Duration: 40 minutes
A tragic dance-theatre piece addressing global social issues. The story follows extraterrestrial beings who land on Earth, only to confront a brutal reality marked by violence, addiction, and human decay.
2) Title: Awaj
Production: Houareb Prison
Text & Direction: Houssem Gharbi
Duration: 55 minutes
A satirical drama blending comedy and social critique. The play portrays a Tunisian civil servant facing economic, cultural, and social struggles in his daily life. The performance also touches on the Palestinian cause, accompanied by live music from the Club of Popular Arts.
3) Title: El Frip (The thrift shop)
Production: Mahdia Civil Prison
Text & Direction: Najib Marwani
Performance: Amin Rajeh
Duration: 45 minutes
A social drama set in a thrift shop. Through characters from different social backgrounds, the play explores everyday struggles and societal problems reflected in this bustling and symbolic marketplace.
4) Title: Ganser
Production: Borj Amri Civil Prison
Text & Direction: Mohamed Ali Jaouadi , Mahdi Aouadi
Duration: 30 minutes
Based on the Ganser Syndrome, a psychological disorder characterized by obsessive thoughts, unrealistic perceptions, and emotional turmoil. The play follows a character haunted by dreams and nightmares, engaging in a dialogue with his inner doubles…a battle between consciousness and the subconscious.
5) Title: A Glimmer of Hope
Production: Mornaguia Civil Prison
Supervision: Nizar Ben Ismail, Yassine Hadadai, Zied Jebali, Chafik Fatnassi
Text & Direction: Detainees’ Collective
Duration: 37 minutes
A social drama portraying the consequences of drug use and the resulting breakdown of social bonds within communities.
6) Title: Moula El Bach
Production: Nadhour Civil Prison
Supervision: Hamza Snani
Duration: 55 minutes
A monodrama depicting the suffering of a former prisoner who faces discrimination and stigma after his release, struggling to find a place back in society.
7) Title: Moments
Production: Siliana Civil Prison
Text & Direction: Fathi Ben Omor
Supervision: Ali Yassine Zaidi
Duration: 20 minutes
A family drama where the absence of a mother plunges a father and his children, one of whom is disabled, into tension, despair, and emotional chaos. Thus begins their story.
8) Title: Pride (Nakhwa)
Production: Sfax Civil Prison
Supervision: Amara Hamadi
Duration: 40 minutes
The play imagines a society transitioning from materialism, greed, and financial dominance toward a moral-based system. In “Nakhwa,” a symbolic land between the Nile and the Euphrates, human transactions are governed by honesty, altruism, and the defense of the weak.
9) Title: We will be back
Production: Kébili Civil Prison
Text & Direction: Abdelghani Amara
Duration: 35 minutes
A family drama illustrating the devastating impact of drug addiction on a member of a modest household trying to improve its living conditions.
10) Title: The Barrier of Reason
Production: Borj Roumi Civil Prison
Text & Direction: Detainees’ Collective
Artistic & Logistics Supervision: Haroun Slama, Mahdi Ben Hamid, Ali Bourguida, Mohamed Bejaoui
Duration: 37 minutes
The play is built around the trial of Galileo—an allegory of reason and free thought. Parallel to this trial, four characters meet in an undefined space seeking solutions to humanity’s contemporary crises. Artificial intelligence is introduced as both a promise and a threat, oscillating between progress and dehumanization.
11) Title: The Spider
Production: Gafsa Civil Prison
Text & Direction: Lassad Hamda
Duration: 30 minutes
A social drama tackling the themes of alternative medicine and witchcraft.
12) Title: Judgments
Production: Sers Civil Prison
Text & Direction: Detainees’ Collective
Supervision: Anouar Ouadia, Ismaïel Abidi
A social drama addressing deviance and drug addiction.
13) Title: Leila and the Wolf
Production: M’Ghira Rehabilitation Center for Girls
Text & Direction: Saoussen Ben Rhouma
Duration: 20 minutes
A contemporary take on social issues related to social media with both its benefits and dangers.
14) Title: Secret Evening
Production: Sidi Hani Rehabilitation Center for Boys
Text & Direction: Khouloud Methnani
Duration: 30 minutes
Three teenagers sink into delinquency. During one of their secret hangouts, they encounter a mysterious figure who leads them through extraordinary experiences that change their lives.
15) Title: Ouled Arouch
Production: Souk Jedid Rehabilitation Center for Boys
Text, Direction & Scenography: Mahmoud Ghabri
Coordination: Nizar Hani
Duration: 30 minutes
A symbolic play reflecting on family names, heritage, and the central value of loving one’s homeland and being willing to sacrifice for it.
16) Title: A Life With no Belief
Production: Mourouj Rehabilitation Center for Boys
Text & Direction: Khaled Amdouni, Seiffedine Ouslati
Music: Aymen Belhaj Salem
Duration: 30 minutes
An exploration of addiction in all its forms, depicting the struggle between a life rooted in work, ambition, and true happiness, and another built on false, addictive illusions that destroy the individual.