FOR the first time in its five-year history, the 8 X10 Theatre Festival will have its full complement of productions over the event’s three days.

Organiser Brian Heap is overjoyed that there are 24 productions which will be taking to the stage of the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, from September 26 to 28.

“Over the years, we have never had the full 24 plays. In the past, we have had to repeat productions to arrive at the full number,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

The 8X10 festival sees eight directors being asked to mount a 10-minute play on each of the three nights.

Heap revealed that this year the pieces are as diverse as ever, which he noted is one of the hallmarks of 8X10.

“We really want to encourage new writing. In addition, there are some directors who relish the opportunity to work on something that is not commercial, outside the box, and stretches their creativity,” he said.

Among the directors who have been invited to present work at the festival are Nicole Williams, whose production will focus on a woman with multiple personality disorder. Paul Issa will be directing an excerpt from This Property is Condemned. Dahlia Harris’s work — Garvey’s wives — will feature a conversation between Marcus Garvey’s two wives, while Heap’s 10-minute play will focus on two people arguing about the meaning of a painting in an art gallery.

Heap is confident that the festival has the potential to grow and from the basis for a Jamaican theatre festival.

“If we are really serious about developing our creative industries — seems to be the buzzwords nowadays — then we must turn this into something meaningful. In the same way that Dance Umbrella has developed to the stage where regional and international dancers want to perform here, then a theatre festival is no different. This can have great spin-offs for tourism in Kingston,” said Heap.

He is also happy that for the first time in its history the 8X10 festival will now be able to offer its directors a production grant to assist with staging this plays. This is due to sponsorship from The CHASE Fund.