Amateur theatre group Art Kosher from the village of Pchelarovo performed Anton Strashimirov's comedy "Mother-in-Law" on Tuesday, 3 November, at the Probuda 1914 chitalishte in Ivaylovgrad. The hall was full.

The event was announced on Monday, 2 November. It started at 6.30pm in the Ivaylo Balabanov hall, and entry was free.

More on this story: Comedy "Mother-in-Law" comes to Ivaylovgrad on 3 November

The audience laughed a lot, applauded for a long time and appreciated the acting and the colourful characters.

Art Kosher has visited the town for the second year in a row. Last year it showed "Women's Kingdom". The visits are for the repair and restoration of the chitalishte (community cultural centre) in Pchelarovo. Director Krasimira Stoyanova says the village is small but has big theatre ambitions. This task keeps the troupe active and gives every show a different meaning.

The actors are amateurs with other jobs and families. On certain days of the week, theatre comes before everything else, Stoyanova said. No one is there by chance, and everyone comes willing and devoted. She is a demanding director and does not compromise on quality, but the troupe would not let her anyway.

The group recently brought home awards from the Velko Kanev international festival in Topolovgrad. Stoyanova said they are above all a recognition of the work of the whole troupe, because behind every show are hours of rehearsals and time given up from personal life. She said the verdict of a professional jury and of audiences makes the actors more ambitious and encourages them to set higher goals.

"Mother-in-Law" was written more than a century ago, but the director says it is still relevant today. The problems are the same, only technology has got involved, and human character and family ties still make people laugh and think. Stoyanova likes comedies with truth behind them, because the best laughter is the kind in which people recognise themselves.

The repair of the chitalishte needs people from different towns and villages who will open their doors, she added. That is why, she said, meetings like the one in Ivaylovgrad are valuable.