El Warsha troupe performing at Beit El set wasila. Photo courtesy of Amira Noshokaty.
It was a full house as El-Warsha performed one of its popular Warsha Nights, with troupe members captivating the audience through a mix of witty songs and storytelling.
Founded by director Hassan El Geretly, El-Warsha has long worked to revive and build on Egypt’s artistic heritage, particularly in storytelling and the revival of the 1920s Cairo Music Hall's essence
“One of our most in-demand performances is Warsha Nights, which combines music hall elements and various art forms,” said El-Geretly. “Audiences enjoy the diversity; it reflects freedom, independence, heritage, and comedy, much like life itself.”
The performance opened with a scene from the Sirah (Life Story) of Beni Helal, chanted by Rehab Khalaf. The scene tells of Khadra Al-Sharifa, the wife of Abu Zeid, who went with other women to the Bird Pond to wish for a son.
She wished upon a black bird and later gave birth to a boy darker in complexion than his parents. Her husband accused her of infidelity, and, maintaining her integrity, she left him and raised her son, the famed hero Abu Zeid El-Helaly, away from the tribe.
Next came the story of Fatma Serry, a celebrated Egyptian singer of the 1920s. Narrated by Shimaa El-Alaily, the story recalled Serry’s studies with composer Dawood Hosney and her distinction as the first woman in Egypt to perform an entire opera, Samson and Delilah.
Serry secretly married Mohamed Shaarawy, son of feminist pioneer Huda Shaarawy and had a daughter. After years of legal battles, a 1931 court ruling recognized Mohamed Shaarawy as the father, making it Egypt’s first lineage case. He then claimed his daughter to live with him, and Serry withdrew from public life and music.
Following the story, singer Mervat El-Jessry performed one of Serry’s songs, Ana Bas Saktalak (I’m Just Being Patient with You”).
Storyteller Samia Jaheen then presented a humorous modern tale, Kalbaz Zad (The Chubby Girl), a parody about a woman caught in an endless cycle of dieting.
A group song titled Shou Ha Al Eyam (What Kind of Days Do We Live In) followed, led by Jaheen in tribute to the late Lebanese composer Ziad Rahbany.
Storyteller Nagi Shehata shared a touching personal memory of his childhood relationship with Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim, who recently passed away.
Bahaa Tolba and Mohamed Shaarawy performed the classic monologue Al-Hob Bahdala (Love Is Humiliating), originally popularized by comedy icons Ismail Yassin and Shoukouko.
Maram Badran sang Said Darwish’s timeless Wallah Testahel Ya Albi (O My Heart, You Deserve It”), while Haitham Ibrahim performed Abdel-Muttalib’s Shoft Habibi (I Saw My Love).
Menna Soliman delivered a 1920s heritage song, Down My Window, embodying a woman admiring a man from her window.
Ali Abdel-Latif closed the night with a story by renowned vernacular poet Beiram El-Tounsy.
The evening was enchanting, weaving together old and new stories and songs that reflected the enduring beauty of authentic Egyptian art.
It captured El-Warsha’s essence, a troupe that connects artists with their roots and allows them to blend personal stories with collective heritage.
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