The Marrakech International Comedy Festival (MDR-2013), an eclectic event perfectly dedicated to humour and stand-up comedy, blew out its third candle on Wednesday evening at the Royal Theatre of the Ochre City, with an opening: an original show entitled "la Halqa", a ritual revisited this year under the artistic direction of Hassan El Fad, linking the oral tradition of the Ochre City and the ingenuity of the Moroccan artist and his international counterparts.

Under the uninterrupted applause of an audience of different ages and from various backgrounds, a palette of Moroccan and foreign comedians followed one another on stage, in a most festive atmosphere, to present, with professionalism and always in the manner of the greats, their latest burlesque shows, thus giving a foretaste to festival-goers for the other shows scheduled throughout this new edition.

The opening session of this festival was therefore designed to pay a vibrant tribute to Moroccan traditions in the form of a transposition of popular theatre to contemporary theatre. It is in this sense that Moroccan, French, Quebecois, and Ivorian comedians found themselves brought together by the show's conductor, Hassan El Fad, with high-level staging.

For more than two hours, aficionados of humour and laughter were able to find their favourite stars and thus reconnect with their confirmed talents, the time to share moments of joy and unforgettable celebration where humour, music, and other surprises formed the ingredients of a singular evening.

Thus, the public present was invited to appreciate shows offered by renowned comedians, such as Rachid Badouri, a young Moroccan working in Quebec, or the master of Halqa Khalid Zemmouri, the young Franco-Moroccan comedian Haroun, the renowned comedian Patrice Thibaud, and many others.

This evening was also enhanced by a cocktail of music interpreted by a predominantly female musical troupe from the city of Sefrou, as well as by talented singers, such as Amir Ali or Cheb Bilal. The Marrakech du Rire will continue until June 9 in the Ochre City.