Presented by The Alternative Theatre Group (ATG) and Marsm UK, Dawlat is an evening of mesmerising Arabic storytelling based on the autobiographical story of the Egyptian playwright and theatre director Mahmoud Aboudoma, followed by a Q&A.

*This event will be in Arabic*

DAWLAT is an autobiographical story of the writer, reminiscing his life in the South of Egypt during his childhood. Featuring live music , the storytelling of the girl named Dawlat transmits his nostalgic emotions where truth is mixed with illusions, and reality with myth, reflecting on a bygone era in Egypt that is embedded in the heart of the writer.

The Alternative Theatre Group (ATG):

Founded in 1989 by Mahmoud Aboudoma and Awatef Ibrahim, ATG was the first independent theatre group in Alexandria. Over the past 27 years ATG has shown numerous productions both in Egypt and abroad resulting in numerous international collaborations including Sweden, Germany, Austria and many more. The troupe is specialised in storytelling and since 2007, has had its own studio in which to develop a new generation of professional theatre makers.

About the Director Mahmoud Aboudoma:
Born in 1953 in Heliopolis, Cairo,  Mahmoud played a pivotal role in developing the independent theatre movement in Egypt since the 1980s as cofounder of the Alternative Theatre Group. As a writer and director, his works include various Arabic adaptations including Shakespeare’s Hamlet under the title “Dance of the Scorpions”, “The House of Bernarda Alba” by Garcia Lorca, “The Fire Raisers” by Max Frisch, “The Dance of Death” by Strindberg, “Marat Sade” by Peter Weiss alongside the translation of Athol Fugard’s “A Place with the Pigs”. He has also written a book of short stories entitled “Thresholds of Homes” and various books about theatre practices.

On entry to the venue you will also have free access to ‘The Future of Traditions, Writing Pictures: Contemporary Art from the Middle East’, a calligraphy exhibition in the Brunei Gallery displaying the work of artists from the region and beyond. We generally recommend 20-30 minutes to view the exhibition and encourage our guests to do so.

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• This is a seated event, first come first serve
• There will be a Q&A session after the performance
• The performances and Q&A will be exclusively in Arabic
• There are no age restrictions in terms of the content, however given the performance style it is more suited for adults
• Doors open at 19:00, show starts at 19:30.