Vilčnik's text Ljudski demokratični cirkus Sakešvili (People'e Democratic Circus Saakeshvili) was picked among a record 86 plays submitted for the Grum Award.

The author, who already won the prestigious award in 2000 and 2008, said that a production of the comedy, which builds on the rich heritage of the Slovenian theatre of the absurd, had already been agreed.

The jury picked as the best play among the 17 performed in Kranj over two weeks Cankar's 1910 satirical drama Hlapci preformed by the Slovenian theatre in Trieste and directed by Sebastijan Horvat.

The audience preferred the solo piece Divji otrok v mestu (Wild Child in the City), an interactive absurd comedy performed by Slovenian actor Tjaša Ferme under the auspices of the PopUp Theatrics and The Secret Theatre from New York.

The Association of theatre critics conferred its awards for the first time at the Kranj festival, picking Vasja Predan, a critic for more than half a century, for the lifetime achievement award.

This year's Week of Slovenian Drama, a showcase of home-grown plays that also featured a section of foreign productions of Slovenian plays, attracted around 2,500 visitors.

Along with plays, the festival featured readings, expert meetings, panel debates and a playwriting workshop.