Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival (D-CAF) eleventh edition (12 October- 5 November) promises to live up to the excitement of the past decade, with more than 30 music and theater performances, exhibitions, and workshops from fourteen countries.
Rawabet Art Space
5 Hussien El-Meaamar St. ext. of Mahmoud Bassiouny St, from Talaat Harb Square, Downtown
Al Sowan play (France /Egypt) is an Egyptian play written and directed by French theatre-maker Pascal Rambert and translated by actress, director, and drama critic Menha El-Batrawy. This is Rambert’s first Egyptian play, written especially for the local audience at D-CAF – where it is set to make its World Premiere. The play brings together a dazzling cast, starring actors Magdy Atwan, Noha El-Kholy, Nanda Mohamed, Mohamed Hatem, Raafat El-Bayoumi, Sarrah Abdel-Rahman, Ahmed Malek, Laila Ghoneim, Marwan El-Gabalawy and Yehia Hussein (17 October until 5 November, 8pm).
Falaki Theatre
AUC’s Tahrir Campus, Downtown, 24 Falaki St, Downtown Cairo, Tel 012 88721446
The Discreet Charm of the Pillars of Society (Egypt/Sweden) theatre performance by Ahmed El-Attar shows his fascination with the family, it’s around, two families, instead of one, who epitomize wealth, power, and corruption, take center stage. One is from Syria, and the other is from Sweden; what brings them together is their disapproval of their children’s upcoming marriage. Their relationship is fraught from the get-go, but a business opportunity promising to make them even richer allows them to find common ground beyond their mutual hatred. El-Attar’s biting commentary with quick and sharp dialogue in Arabic, Swedish, and English begs the question: With a world in chaos, opportunities abound for a select few – but at what price?
(2 and 4 November, 8pm and 3 November, 7pm).
The Lucky Children theatre performance (Switzerland/Egypt) by Omat Ghayatt. The Lucky Children is an homage to vanished memories. In a dream-like journey, the past and present of three people interest and seem to happen simultaneously – moments of becoming and passing dissolve into one another. Who are we without memories? How do they shape our view of the world and our relationships with each other? This visually powerful theatre performance with atmospheric sound is an invitation into a sensual world, into other realities and lives, and into a being that seems simultaneously distant and yet so close and familiar
(5 November, 6pm and 6 November, 10.30pm).
The Cairo Puppet Theatre
Next to the Al-Attaba Metro Station, Tel 02 2591 0954
Nogoum men Khashab (stars of wood), a children play written by Hamdy Attiya and directed by Sayyed Rostoum (Performances run on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 7.30pm).
The Floating Theatre
Abdel-Aziz Al-Saoud St, in front of Salaheddin Mosque, Al Manial, Tel 02 2368 4047, 012 8531 1358/ 0100 5233623
Small Theatre
Yassin and Bahiya play starring Hazem El-Qady, Iman Ghoneim, Youssef Mourad, Karim Tarek, Laila Mourad, is written by Naguib Sorour and directed by Youssef Murad Mounir
(Performances run daily except Tuesdays, 8pm).
Al-Ghad (Tomorrow) Theatre
Next to Balloon Theatre, Al-Agouza, Tel 02 3304 3187
Stockman play casts Yasser Ezzat, Reem Ahmed, Mohamed Diab and many more with music by Rafiq Gamal, décor by Hamdy Attia, costumes designed by Dina Zoheir, written by Mikhail Wagih and directed by Osama Raouf (Performances run daily, 9pm).
The International Park
Madinet Nasr District
Gimo’s Adventures children play is performed by Al-Shams (The Sun) Theatre Company for those with special abilities starring Karim El-Hosseiny, Israa Hamed, written by Salah Metwaly and directed by Mohamed Ashri (Performances run on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 8.30pm).
Malak Opera Theatre
9 A Khalig Al-Khour St, Azbekiya district, Ramses, Tel 0122 3417152
Qabl Alkhoroug (before the exit) play starring Sherehan Qotb, Mohamed Abdel-Wahab, Lamiaa Gaafar, is written by Mohamed Zenaty, directed by Hany El-Sayed, with music composed by Mohamed Qabil, decor and costumes designed by Mohamed Hashem
(Performances run on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 9pm).
Miami Theatre
Talaat Harb St, next to Miami Cinema, Downtown, Tel 02 2574 5651
Tayeb wa Amir (good and kind) play starring Amr Ramzy, Hisham Ismail, Tamer Farag, Rasha Fouad, Noha Lotfy, Sherif Hosny, written by Ahmed Almalwany, décor by Hamdy Attiya, lightening by Abu Bakr Elsherif, costumes designed by Amir Saber, music composed by Ayman Elturky, and directed by Mohamed Gabr
(Performances run on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 8.30pm).
Al-Qawmi (The National) Theatre
Al Attaba Square, in front of Attab Post Office, Cairo, Tel, 02 25917783
Sayadaty Ana (My Fair Lady) play is produced by Al-Qawmi Theatre Company starring Dalia El-Beheri, Nedal El-Shafaay, Farid El-Noqrashy, Amina Salem, décor by Hamdy Attia, costumes designed by Marwa Aouda, music composed by Mahmoud Talaat, choreography by Mustafa Haggag, dramaturgy and directed by Mohsen Rizk (Performances run on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 8.30pm).
Al-Salam Theatre
101 Qasr Al-Aini St, Tel 02 2795 2484/2794 3016/010 21521501
Youm Assem Gedan play is produced by the Comedy Theatre Company starring Mustafa Mansour, Haidy Refaat, Sherehan El-Shazli, and many more. Décor by Mohamed Fathy, lightening by Ezz Helmy, written by Ayman El-Nemr and directed by Amr Hassaan (Performances run daily except Tuesdays, 8.30pm).
Aageeb wa Aageeba musical theatrical performance is produced by the Modern Theatre Company starring Sayyed El-Roumy, Doaa Ramadan, Ihab Bakir, Reda Tolba, and many more. Décor by Sarah Shoukry, lightening by Abu-Bakr El-Sherif, costumes designed by Samah Nabil, music composed by Mahmoud Wahid, choreography by Ahmed Samir, written by Said Haggag and directed by Mohamed El-Soghair
(Performances run daily except Tuesdays, 9.30pm).
Youssef Idrees Hall
Seeb Nafsak (just relax) play starring Fatema Mohamed Ali is produced by the Modern Theatre Company. Décor by Ahmed Amin, lightening by Ibrahim El-Forn, costumes designed by Nehad Elsayed, music composed by Hatem Ezzat, choreography by Monadel Antar, direction and dramaturgy by Gamal Yaqout
(Performances run daily except Tuesdays, 8.30pm).
Khetat Cupid (cupid’s plan) play casts actors Abdel-Moneim Riyad, Kareem El-Hosseiny, Nawal Samir, and many more. Décor by Ahmed Amin, lighting by Abu Bakr El-Sherif, music by Tamer Abdel-Meguid, written by Abdallah El-Shaaer, and directed by Ahmed Fouad (Performances run daily except Tuesdays, 8.30pm).
Taliaa Theatre
Attaba Square, Tel 02 2593 7948
Salah Abdel-Sabour Hall
Beit Rose (the house of rose), play is produced by Taliaa Theatre
starring Sally Said, Nadia Hassan, Samah Selim, Haggar Hatem, décor and costumes designed by Heba El-Komy, music composed by Rafiq Youssef, written and directed by Mahmoud Gamal Hedeny
(Performances run daily except Tuesdays, 7.30pm).
Farida play, produced by Taliaa Theatre Company, starring Aida Fahmy is an adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s play Swan Song, written and directed by Akram Mustafa. It is about an actress who recalls the ups and downs of her artistic journey (Performances run on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 7.30pm).
Leilat Alqatala (night of the killers) is Jose Triana’s play translated by Fathy El-Ashri and produced by Taliaa Theatre Company, and casts Nashwa Ismail, Emile Shawki, Shaimaa Yousry, décor and costumes designed by Samah Nabil, directed by Sobhy Youssef
(Performances run on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 7.30pm).
Zaki Tolimat Hall
Bab Aashq (a door of love) play casts Maher Mahmoud, Hala Yasser, Fekry Selim, Mohamed Salah, Ahmed Hassan, Donia Aouni, with music composed by Mohamed Hosny, décor by Fady, costumes designed by Maha Abdel-Rahman, written by Ibrahim El-Husseiny and directed by Hassan El-Wazir (Performances run on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 8pm until mid-October).
ALEXANDRIA
Lycee El Horreya Theatre
Qism Bab Sharqi, Alexandria, Tel 03 5913794
Almalek Hammam wa Aasabet Aldabaa (King Hammam and the gang of hyenas) play is produced by Alexandria Theatre Company starring Reda Edris, Ibrahim El-Mallah, Mohamed Gaber, and children Mariam Ehab, Lara Adel, Nourseen, written and directed by Ehab Mabrouk (Performances run on Thursdays and Fridays, 8pm).
* A version of this article appears in print in the 2 November, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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