Season 2025-2026

Festival

FR

Rencontres Internationales de Théâtre Universitaire

43rd edition
24th TO 28th FEBRUARY

Program
Plays
Conference
Venues

Welcome to the 43rd edition of the International University Theatre Meetings (Rencontres Internationales de Théâtre Universitaire) !

During RITU43, you will have the opportunity to discover:

  • 11 shows;
  • 2 short performances;
  • 1 conference;
  • Workshops, including a public presentation;
  • And above all, encounters from all corners of the globe.

Practical information

Date
24th to 28th February 2026

Venues
In several venues in Liège: TURLg, CC Chiroux, Exèdre Dick Annegarn (Sart-Tilman), CC de Chênée and CC de Seraing

Who is it for?
RITU is open to everyone and free for ULiège students!

Prices

  • 15€ – RITU PASS
  • 10€ – Full price
  • 8€ – ULiège staff members, job seekers
  • 5€ – External students
  • 5€ – Group rate (min. 10), contact turlg@uliege.be

Free for ULiège students!

Are you coming to see several shows? Get a RITU PASS!
For €15, you can book tickets for several RITU shows (please note: this pass is non-transferable). Offer only available online.

24th FEBRUARY

Opening of the RITU 43
| 3:00 pm | Salle TURLg

Početak igre/ Beginning of the game
| 5:00 pm | CC Chiroux | 50′ | In Croatian, English surtitles
Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb — Croatia

Deux femmes
| 8:15 pm | Salle TURLg | 50′ | In Arabic and French
Espaces Théâtre Management, École Nationale de Commerce et de Gestion de Tanger — Morocco

25th FEBRUARY

Someone Else
| 3:00 pm | Exèdre Dick Annegarn | 60′ | In Georgian, English surtitles
Troupe Sandro Akhmeteli State Drama Theatre, Saint Andrew the First-Called University of Tbilissi — Georgia

Irmás
| 8:15 pm | CC Chiroux | 60′ | In Galician
Compañía de Teatro da USC, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela — Spain

Le Survivant
| 10:00 pm | Salle TURLg | 45′ | In French
Troupe de l’École de Théâtre de l’Université de Lubumbashi — Democratic Republic of Congo

26th FEBRUARY

CONFERENCE: ‘Meals, a social and cultural ritual: a source of inspiration for the performing arts’
| 8:30 am to 4:30 pm | Salle des Professeurs

Sobra la mesa (short form)
| 11:15 am | Salle TURLg | 20′ | In Spanish
Teatro PUCP, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú de Lima — Peru

African Psycho
| 5:00 pm | Salle TURLg | 60′ | In French
Théâtre universitaire de Yaoundé — Cameroon

Náufragos de la Divina providencia
| 8:30 pm | CC Seraing | 120′ | In Spanish
Grupo Náufrago, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México — México

27th FEBRUARY

CONFERENCE: ‘Meals, a social and cultural ritual: a source of inspiration for the performing arts’
| 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | Salle des Professeurs

KULA : hier, aujourd’hui et demain ? (short form)
| 11:45 am | Salle TURLg | 25′ | In Swahili, French, non-verbal
École de Théâtre de l’Université de Lubumbashi — Democratic Republic of Congo

Restitution of the UCCork Research-Creation workshop
| 2:00 pm | Salle des Professeurs

Margaritas sobre el asfalto
| 8:15 pm | CC Chênée | 60′ | In Spanish, French surtitles
Aula de Teatro de la Universidad de Almería — Spain

Méduse
| 10:00 pm | Salle TURLg | 60′ | In French
TURLg, Théâtre Universitaire Royal de Liège — Belgium

28th FEBRUARY

Musafi, la Refugiée
| 2:00 pm | Salle TURLg | 55′ | In French
Troupe de l’INA, Institut National des Arts de Kinshasa — Democratic Republic of Congo

TurbulenceS
| 8:15 pm | Salle TURLg | 60′ | In French
TURLg, Théâtre Universitaire Royal de Liège — Belgium

Plays

Početak igre Beginning of the game

Tuesday, 24th Feb. | 5:00 pm | Chiroux
50′ | In Croatian, English surtitles
Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb — Croatia

After Samuel Beckett
Directing: Patrik Sečen

Début de partie is conceived as a collective creation. It is – but not only – a one-person performance. It is the result of Samuel Beckett’s series of failures to stage his play Endgame. This led us to ask ourselves: can we stage our own inability to stage Beckett? Is it really possible not to know what we are doing? Can we fail? How can we continue to fail? Can failure be productive?

At the end of 2024, Patrik Sečen gathered friends and theatre enthusiasts with one clear goal: to produce their final year play. Out of this came a questionable idea — a one-person performance inspired by Samuel Beckett’s Fin de partie. It soon became obvious: it was strange, unnecessary… therefore, essential. So they did it.

Deux femmes

Tuesday, 24th Feb. | 8:15 pm | TURLg
55′ | In Arabic, French
Espaces Théâtre Management, École Nationale de Commerce et de Gestion de Tanger — Morocco

Directing: Bousekham Daif

Two women, faceless and without identity, emerge from the void. Different but bound by their dreams, they carry an immense inner world, a universe of hopes they try to tame. In an open yet closed space, with no choices and no windows, all they have left is their voices to shout and their bodies to express themselves. Through their voices and movements unfolds a journey : a quest for freedom, recognition, and existence.

Founded in 1995 at ENCGT in Tangier, ETM (Espace Théâtre Management) is a leading arts and culture club in the academic field of art. For over twenty years, it has been dedicated to creating and staging performances throughout the academic year. The troop is also involved in charitable and humanitarian actions, enriched by an essential artistic and cultural dimension.

Someone Else

Wednesday, 25th Feb. | 3:00 pm | Annegarn
60′ | In Georgian, English surtitles
Sandro Akhmeteli State Drama Theatre, Saint Andrew the First-Called University of Tbilissi — Georgia

By Angelina Roshka
Directing: Irakli Gogia (artistic director), Giorgi Kaulashvili (stage director)

Inspired by a true story, this work recounts the fate of Frédéric Pier Burden, deprived of his family’s love because of a gift as fascinating as it is disturbing: the ability to transform himself into individuals of different ages and nationalities. He wore countless faces for more than ten years, lived in more than fifteen countries and mastered five languages : people call him “the Chameleon of Nantes”.

The Sandro Akhmeteli State Drama Theatre is one of the most active theatres in Tbilisi, staging local and international co-productions. The company explores diverse theatrical practices and cultural perspectives. It is currently co-producing this show in collaboration with a university project, combining theatre and academic research.

Irmás

Wednesday, 25th Feb. | 8:15 pm | Chiroux
60′ | In Galician
Compañía de Teatro da USC, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela — Spain

By Pascal Rambert
Directing: Roberto Salgueiro

Irmás, by Pascal Rambert, is a daring attempt not only to expose two actresses on stage, but also to push language itself to the extreme in order to reveal its powerlessness, its inability to tell the story of the world. Two sisters meet again after their mother’s death and throw the disaster of their lives until they are breathless, because words are never enough.

The University of Santiago Theatre Hall was founded in 1990 and focuses its theatre training on three main programmes: Theatre company, Theatre school (acting/directing) and Theatre Meetings.

Le Survivant

Wednesday, 25th Feb. | 10:00 pm | TURLg
45′ | In French
École de Théâtre de l’Université de Lubumbashi — Democratic Republic of Congo

Directing: Michel Lwenbe

The play depicts the inner struggle and resilience of a young African soldier returning from the front, forever scarred by the atrocities of war and the regrets of a sacrificed youth, but driven by a deep attachment to his homeland and to humanity. His journey illustrates both the price of sacrifice, resilience in the face of invisible wounds, and the ardent dream of lasting peace for his country and for all humanity. The victory of life over death!

The School, under the direction of Fabien Kabeya Mukamba, provides traditional training for professionals and/or non-professionals in the arts, as well as political and social actors. The Company also creates short pieces for social intervention and awareness-raising at cultural and social events.

African Psycho

Thursday, 26th Feb. | 5:00 pm | TURLg
60′ | In French
Théâtre universitaire de Yaoundé — Cameroon

By Alain Mabanckou
Directing: Christophe Fombasso

Grégoire Nakobomayo, an orphan, grew up in an industrial town in post-colonial Africa. Taken in by an educated couple, he received a middle-class education until the day he stabbed their only son, who was trying to rape him, in the eye with a pencil. Forced to flee, he took refuge in a run-down neighbourhood and took the famous serial killer ‘Angoualima’ as his role model, defying the country and its laws. But not everyone can be a serial killer!

The troupe participates every year in all national university theatre competitions organised by UNIFAC and has won several golden ears. It is active in forum theatre, not unlike social intervention theatre, and organises awareness-raising performances on campus.

Náufragos de la Divina providencia

Thursday, 26th Feb. | 8:30 pm | CC Seraing
120′ | In Spanish, English surtitles
Grupo Náufrago, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) — México

Directing: Mariana Michelle and Morquecho Martínez

In a village where faith sustains what reality destroys, a mass is interrupted. The door closes, the rain continues to fall, and the temple reveals burning truths. There is no redemption without truth, no miracle without blood; all that remains is the question… what are we going to eat?

The Náufrago group is made up of twenty-nine students eager to create and experience theatre as a community. It was founded as part of the Directing Laboratory, coordinated by Otto Minera at the College of Dramatic Literature and Theatre of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters at UNAM.

Margaritas sobre el asfalto

Friday, 27th Feb. | 8:15 pm | CC Chênée
60′ | In Spanish, French surtitles
Aula de Teatro de la Universidad de Almería — Spain

Directing: Diego Armando Alías

Crash. An accident. A death that shakes an entire village. Through fragments of shattered lives, the play plunges us into the heart of grief, guilt and the urgent need to find meaning amid the void. The voices of those who still breathe try to preserve what the asphalt sought to erase.

The UAL Theatre Hall brings the performing arts closer to the university community and the city. It is based on three pillars: training, experimentation and creation, and develops projects that involve students in all phases of staging.

Méduse

Friday, 27th Feb. | 10:00 pm | TURLg
60′ | In French
TURLg, Théâtre Universitaire Royal de Liège — Belgium

Collective creation
Directing: Benoit Cottin

A stare that petrifies. Everyone has encountered one. It comes from the other, who terrifies us because they are not like us. We prefer to look away, to flee the monster’s gaze. However, when someone screams in silence, the only way to be heard is to impose silence on the people who listen to themselves talk. A young girl experiences an assault that will seriously impact her life and transform her into a creature of terror. But in this story, who is the real demon? Would a single glance be enough to change the ending of the story?

The TURLg creates and stages performances, organises workshops and courses, coordinates the RITU and maintains close links with research and teaching, in a spirit of diversity, collaboration and openness.

For more informations about the TURLg…

Musafi, la Refugiée

Saturday, 28th Feb. | 2:00 pm | TURLg
55′ | In French
Troupe de l’INA, Institut National des Arts de Kinshasa — Democratic Republic of Congo

Directing: Nkoko Tulama Narcisse with the help from Kangu Mambuya Faustin

Musafi, a young refugee, tells her sad story. For seven years, accompanied by her aunt, she has been moving from one camp to another. Her wish is to return to her country to resume her studies. In these camps, she has learned a great deal and now believes she will campaign for a society where women’s rights are recognised and guaranteed. But the big question remains: will she return to her homeland?

Since 1980, the INA Kinshasa theatre company has been performing at the National Institute of Arts in Kinshasa, a higher education institution for the arts. The shows are created by teachers together with students. The company presents all kinds of performances: theatre, mime, dance and storytelling.

TurbulenceS

Saturday, 28th Feb. | 8:15 pm | TURLg
60′ | In French
TURLg, Théâtre Universitaire Royal de Liège — Belgium

Collective creation
Directing: Nicolas Innocent et Maxime Vallette

Present your ticket and board. The crew is delighted to accompany you on flight ‘V00541137-M0U212!12’ to paradise. The airplane is said to be the safest means of transport… And travelling is so enjoyable: forget everyday life and escape to an alternative world where everything is beautiful, available, calm and without a single shadow to darken the idyllic picture. Relax, leave it to us and everything will be fine. Welcome aboard!

The TURLg creates and stages performances, organises workshops and courses, coordinates the RITU and maintains close links with research and teaching, in a spirit of diversity, collaboration and openness.

For more informations about the TURLg…

Short forms

As part of the symposium ‘Meals, a social and cultural ritual: a source of inspiration for the performing arts’, co-organised with CERTES (see below), two short forms are presented following the call for submissions on commensality, as well as the results of the Research-Creation workshop led by Brice Catherin of University College Cork, as part of the UNIC network.

Sobra la mesa

Thursday, 26th Feb. | 11:15 am | TURLg
20′ | In Spanish, English surtitles
Teatro PUCP, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú — Lima, Peru

Collective creation written and directe by par Adolfo Bustamente

Three women set up the “perfect” peruvian table to the rhythm of criollo waltzes. They want to impress “him” by showcasing the virtues of our gastronomy: emblematic dishes, progress and inclusion. But he never arrives and the waiting becomes urgent. In their effort to sustain the illusion collapses and a pot falls revealing the broken plates we hide beneath: inequality, neglect, exclusion. How do Peruvians eat? Who truly has a place at the table? Can we reclaim the stories behind our food?

The troupe represents the theatre specialisation of the Faculty of Performing Arts at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP), which is a benchmark in the country and has been training actors and actresses for over 60 years.

KULA : hier, aujourd’hui et demain ?

Friday, 27th Feb. | 11:45 am | TURLg
25′ | In Swahili, French, non-verbal
École de Théâtre de l’Université de Lubumbashi — Democratic Republic of Congo

By Fabien Kabeya
Directing: Gody Ngosa Bupe

Kula: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow? is an immersive performance exploring social transformations through the universal act of eating, “kula” in Swahili. Combining poetic narration, contemporary dance, and hybrid music, it examines meals across time: yesterday a communal ritual, today an individual act, tomorrow a space to reinvent.

Since 2012, the Lubumbashi Theatre School trains artists and social actors. Its troupe, composed of students and teachers, produces plays and social interventions, and regularly performs at RITU festivals in Liège and Besançon.

Restitution of the UCCork Research-Creation workshop

Friday, 27th Feb. | 2:00 pm | Salle des professeurs
Led by Brice Catherin from University College Cork, as part of the UNIC network.

Conference

“Meal time, a social and cultural ritual: a source of inspiration for the performing arts”, co-organised with CERTES (Centre for Studies and Research on Theatre in the Social Space)

Eating together is a complex social and cultural ritual, imbued with profound social, cultural and symbolic meanings that structure our human relationships. This symposium explores meals as a space for sociability, creation and staging, from food preparation to tasting. Through multidisciplinary approaches, the presentations examine the ordinary and festive rituals of meals, their contemporary developments and their symbolic dimensions. Lectures, short presentations and a research-creation workshop will provide a better understanding of the complexity and richness of this daily act that connects us to our history, our culture and our identities.

The Research-Creation workshop led by Brice CATHERIN (University College Cork – Ireland, as part of the UNIC network) with a group of selected students will be presented on Friday 27th February at 2:00 pm in the Teachers’ Room.

✴︎ Thursday, 26th February | 8:30 am to 4:30 pm | Salle des Professeurs
✴︎ Friday, 27th February | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | Salle des Professeurs
The symposium and short presentations are open to all and free of charge.

Venues

TURLg – Théâtre Universitaire Royal de Liège
Quai Roosevelt, 1b, 4000 Liège — Maps

Centre Culturel Les Chiroux
Place des Carmes 8, 4000 Liège — Maps

Centre Culturel de Chênée
Rue de l’Église 1, 4032 Liège — Maps

Centre Culturel de Seraing
Rue Renaud Strivay 44, 4100 Seraing — Maps

B8 Exècre Dick-Annegarn (Sart-Tilman)
Boulevard du Rectorat, 13, 4000 Liège — Maps

Salle des professeurs
Bat. A2, Place du Vingt-Aout, 7, 4000 Liège — Maps

TURLg - Théâtre Universitaire Royal de Liège
Centre Culturel Les Chiroux
Centre Culturel de Chênée
Centre Culturel de Seraing
B8 Exècre Dick-Annegarn (Sart-Tilman)
Salle des professeurs (Bât. A1)

With the help and support of the University of Liège, the Wallonia-Brussels Federation – Territorial Action, the Walloon Region, the Province of Liège, the Department of Culture of the City of Liège, Wallonia-Brussels International, UNIC, U.R. Traverses, and AITU.