Sharjah, UAE — Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the ninth Sharjah Desert Theatre Festival on December 13, attending the opening in the presence of Deputy Ruler Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi. The event, staged in the Al Kehaif area, continues through December 17.
The opening night featured a new theatrical production by Sheikh Dr Sultan, Al Barraq and Layla Al Afeefa. The Ruler commended the actors, the script and the poetic dialogue, and praised the production’s use of modern techniques and cinematic elements that expand the play’s visual scope. He noted that resources from the Sharjah National Theatre were fully committed to enabling the play to represent the United Arab Emirates at the festival.
Sheikh Dr Sultan said the production is intended to compete for the festival prize alongside entries from across the Arab world, stressing that any win would be for the UAE rather than a local or personal accolade. He described Al Barraq and Layla Al Afeefa as more ambitious and competitive than his earlier works, and lauded director Mohammed Al Ameri for crafting a complex piece that blends live stage performance with filmed sequences.
Reflecting on his long involvement in theatre, Sheikh Dr Sultan recalled directing a successful 1954 play that attracted large audiences and earned considerable proceeds, attributing its success to timing with a local holiday and community performances under the Ruwla tree. He urged the theatrical community to avoid pettiness, to support one another, and to maintain theatre that delivers meaningful messages.
The Ruler highlighted the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy’s role in training talent, saying the academy will graduate skilled artists from across the Arab world and beyond. He underscored the importance of nurturing students during their studies and supporting them after graduation so that trained talent is not lost, and he reiterated the academy’s openness to all nationalities.
Warning against narrow regionalism, Sheikh Dr Sultan called for goodwill among practitioners and urged writers, directors and performers to develop rapidly so they can compete on the international stage. He also recalled a past confrontation in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when a play he produced led to the temporary closure of a theatre and confiscation of props following a dispute with a British delegate.
At the festival site, designed to reflect Arab desert settings, audiences saw folk troupes and heritage performances that integrate customs and traditions into theatrical scenes. Al Barraq and Layla Al Afeefa draws on Arab poetic heritage and historical tales of heroism, chivalry, loyalty and love of the land. The production employed vivid expressive techniques, filmed segments and live animals, including horses and camels, to bring poetic imagery to life. The cast includes Ahmed Al Jasmi, Basel Yakhour, Ibrahim Salem, Abdullah Masoud and Azza Zarour, under the direction of Mohammed Al Ameri.
This edition, themed Desert Theatre and the Aesthetics of Arab Folk Narratives, explores how Arab folk tales can expand the artistic and technical possibilities of desert theatre. The ninth festival concludes on the evening of December 17. Senior officials and dignitaries attended the launch.
Source: ANI/WAM. This article is published from a syndicated feed as received; the Tribune assumes no responsibility for accuracy or completeness.
