Society & Culture
The first Sudanese work after displacement.. “Noon Al-Gafa” on the shortlist of the Alexandria Festival
Sudan Events – Magda Hassan
The play “Noon Al-Gafa” by Sudanese director Mohamed Alish was selected among the theatrical performances selected for the Alexandria International Theater Festival (Theatre without Production).
The administration of the Alexandria International Theater Festival (Theatre without Production) in its fourteenth session announced the performances selected to participate in the most important theatrical event in Alexandria. From among a large number of performances submitted, 14 performances were selected from different countries around the world.
They are: (MIND PREY) from Poland – (CASSEET) from Algeria – (SHKON) and (MAQTAB) from Tunisia – (THE PANIC SONG SHOW) from Italy – (LIGHT) from Saudi Arabia – (NOON AL-GAFA) from Sudan – (A SCREAM IN THE DARK) from Brazil – (MONOLOGUE) from Syria – (ERROR 404) from Spain – (ASHES) from the United Arab Emirates – (REFUGEES) from Syria and France – (METAMORPHOSIS) from Lebanon, and the theatrical show (LATE SPRING) from Iraq will participate on the sidelines of the festival. The Egyptian shows participating in the festival will be announced soon.
The festival will be held on the various stages of Alexandria from September 20 to 26, 2024, and the Alexandria audience will witness a distinguished group of international theatrical shows that represent the diversity of cultures and arts.
It is worth noting that the announced list represents the short list of participating shows, which means that there is a possibility of making some changes or alterations in the final list of shows. This step aims to ensure that the best possible theatrical experience is provided to the audience.
This session of the festival is a great opportunity for theater lovers to enjoy distinguished and diverse shows, and interact with theatrical arts from all over the world.
The festival is managed by the artist Ahmed Samir, the honorary president and founder of the festival, Dr. Gamal Yaqout, and the festival president, the artist Ibrahim Al-Farn.
It is worth mentioning that the final preparations for the play (Noon Al-Gafa) have begun during the past months. The play stars Rehab Ibrahim, Wissam Salah, Seza Sorkati, the singer “Waad”, assistant director Mona Hassan, and executive director Mohamed Hassan. Noon Al-Gafa is the first Sudanese theatrical work to be designed in Egypt after the displacement of many Sudanese artists and their settlement in the Arab Republic of Egypt after the outbreak of war in Sudan. It is also considered the first project of the “Masar Al-Ibdiya” Foundation, which began preparations to launch its work in Egypt. The play Noon Al-Gafa was the first joint experience between “Masar Al-Ibdiya” and the Sudanese Artists Association Union in Egypt. Director Mohamed Alish explained in a previous interview with (Al-Ahdath) that the play presents a visual feminine scene to form the features of 3 women who tell their stories through physical formations, so that the body is the first curse through which society judges women, negatively or positively. These visual scenes narrate the suffering of women in a loose way inside a theater stage in the form of a large, fragile bubble that represents the extent of the psychological and societal siege that women have fallen into. Three women and a singer meet in an unknown place and exchange dialogue and singing with the circular tar that Sufis use in praise, but in the same geometric sense it symbolizes those circles that do not end with the woman unless they fall into another larger circle.. This is how the idea of the scene crystallizes to discuss the conflict between good and evil and the interpretations of the conflict between them. The scene is an idea and written by Mohamed Aleish, starring the artist Rahab Ibrahim, the star actress Wissam Salah, the actress Siza Sorkati, the singer “Waad” and the musician Ali Al-Zein. Implemented by Mohamed Hassan Tayara. Magda Nasr El-Din. Directed by Mohamed Aleish, and is considered the first work after the displacement to Egypt.
