The play began staging in July 2025, marking El-Fakharany's return to the role, which he first performed in 2001 at the same stage.
The 2001 production featured Sawsan Badr, Salwa Mohamed Ali, Rania Farid Shawky and Ahmed Fouad Selim, alongside the late actors Farouk El-Fishawy (1952–2019) and Ashraf Abdel Ghafour (1942–2023).
The current production of King Lear is directed by Shady Sorour and features Tarek El-Desouky, Hassan Youssef, Mohamed El-Ezayzi, Eman Ragaa, Amal Abdallah, Ahmed El-Nasser, Islam Abbas, Diaa Shafik, and Hamdy Attia.
In a press conference held ahead of the July premiere of the Shakespearean tragedy, El-Fakharany said: “When I first performed King Lear in 2001, it was difficult because I had to play an old man and physically bend over; my back hurt terribly every day. But now, at 80, I actually am an old man, so I don’t need to exert any effort just to feel the character.”
Yehia El-Fakharany
El-Fakharany is one of Egypt’s most celebrated actors, renowned for his work in theatre, film and television.
Born in 1945, he began his stage career in the late 1960s and rose to prominence through memorable performances in both classical and contemporary works.
He is particularly known for his versatility, depth of expression and long-standing dedication to the National Theatre. Over his career, he has become an iconic figure in Egyptian performing arts, earning critical acclaim for roles ranging from Shakespearean classics such as King Lear to popular television dramas.
In addition to King Lear, El-Fakharany has appeared in numerous stage productions, many of them originally produced in the 1960s and throughout the 1990s. In 2015, he starred in Mohsen Helmy’s adaptation of One Thousand and One Nights.
Alongside his theatre work, El-Fakharany has appeared in more than 50 films and around 70 television series to date.
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