Sameh Mahran, who was born in Cairo in 1954, graduated from the Faculty of Arts at Cairo University.
In 1989, he earned a PhD from the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts with a dissertation on War in Arab Theatre.
He is the author of numerous essays, plays, critical studies, and translations focusing on contemporary Arab theatre.
Being a professor of dramatic arts at the Academy of Theatrical Arts in Cairo, Mahran is deeply committed to the development of theatre in Egypt and across the Arab world.
He also served as the president of the Theatre Committee at the Supreme Council of Culture and was the academy's former president from 2009 to 2014.
He presided over several editions of the Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre from 2016 to 2019, and again from 2023 to the present.
In an interview with Al-Ahram Hebdo, Mahran reflected on the challenges facing the Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre, including dwindling budgets, shifting audience tastes, political pressures, and cultural divides.
Despite the obstacles, he remains committed to sustaining and evolving the festival, advocating for a more inclusive, contemporary vision of theatre in Egypt and the wider Arab world.
Al-Ahram Hebdo (AH): A month before the launch of this 32nd edition, you suggested in the media rethinking the festival’s name and identity. Why?
Sameh Mahran (SM): This proposal resurfaces every year, since the festival resumed after a five-year suspension between 2011 and 2014.
At the time, I was the head of the theatre committee at the Supreme Council of Culture.
Around the world, the term "experimental" has largely been replaced by the label "performance art." Things have evolved, and new forms of theatre have emerged.
I proposed to the committee members that we modify the festival's name by dropping the word “experimental,” so it would become the Cairo International Festival for Theatre.
This would still allow us to keep a branch dedicated to experimental work under the same umbrella. The goal was to attract a broader audience by including comedic performances, musical shows, and other more varied genres.
Back then, the theatre critic Nehad Selaiha completely rejected the idea and harshly criticized me, along with other young theatre professionals.
We then tried to find a more suitable formula and reached a compromise by adding “contemporary” to the title, hence Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental Theatre (CIFCET).
The adjectives "contemporary" and "experimental" may seem incompatible — one relates to time, the other to technique — but the festival’s aim is to showcase all types of theatrical experimentation.
At one point, the festival abandoned its competitive aspect by eliminating the official competition.
After four consecutive editions, I stepped down from the festival presidency, and it reverted to its original name, the Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre (CIFET), including its competitive component.
Then in 2023, I was reappointed as festival president.
This year, I proposed new ideas to Minister of Culture Ahmed Fouad Hanno, and together we agreed on a new format.
AH: This edition includes 16 performances in official competition (seven Arab, seven European, and two Egyptian), which is relatively few. Has the festival lost its prestige?
SM: Created in 1989 by former Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni and presided over for years by academic Fawzy Fahmy, the festival was once strongly supported by the state.
Back then, the budget was $14 million, whereas today, it does not exceed half a million dollars. Comparing past and present editions is simply unfair. The difference is quite frustrating.
This limited budget has forced us to shorten the festival’s duration, which previously spanned 10 days and hosted around 40 performances.
Some troupes agreed to perform but asked to be paid. Yet, entry to the festival is free.
That is not even counting the high costs of travel and accommodation.
In short, several crucial elements are lacking for the festival to grow.
First, there is the issue of funding. Second, Egyptian theatre venues are poorly equipped for experimental productions involving audiovisual effects. Third, we sometimes face challenges regarding freedom of expression.
And finally, the audience is often not open to cultural differences. Even worse, the conservatism of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamic movements has deeply influenced public perception.
The current system is extremely complicated. It feels as though multiple “populations” have emerged within the country, each with divergent values and orientations.
AH: Despite so many obstacles, can the festival thrive in the near future?
SM: It is really hard to say, but I believe that just continuing to exist and refusing to give up is already a major achievement.
The festival is fighting to survive despite all the unfavourable conditions. We do what we can with the resources at our disposal.
AH: Saudi and Emirati performances dominate the programme. How do you explain that?
SM: This year, we have two Saudi plays, one Qatari, and two Emirati.
Some accuse us of bias or favouring Gulf countries. However, a look at the programme shows that Tunisia is also presenting two plays, Romania is participating with two, and so on.
The culture minister signed agreements with Qatar and the UAE. We cannot ignore these political dynamics, but we only select troupes that demonstrate artistic merit.
AH: How would you evaluate the festival under your leadership?
SM: In 2016, when the festival resumed, we launched training workshops across different areas of theatre, targeting young people. These workshops have become a key feature that we cannot ignore.
From 1989 to 2010, the Foreign Relations Department of the Ministry of Culture used to ask Egyptian embassies abroad to suggest the best international performances for the festival. That is no longer the case.
Today, selection is based solely on merit, without regard to political quotas or any other bias. I do not play political games at this festival.
AH: Egypt now hosts several international theatre festivals. Has that affected the Experimental Festival's positioning?
SM: Today, many festivals claim to be independent and international and demand support from the Ministry of Culture. However, they lack clear strategies.
Indeed, their presence has affected us, even weakened us. I often ask myself: What is the real benefit of a festival held in a particular coastal city, or even in the capital?
Instead, we should focus on bringing theatre to border regions, which are deprived of cultural activities.
AH: In 2016, you signed cooperation agreements with the Arab Theatre Institute (ATI). How has the festival benefited? Are more agreements planned?
SM: Since we signed those agreements, ATI has continued to support the festival. In 2024, they gave us a donation of $15,000, which helped us pay workshop instructors, jury members, translators, and so on.
This year, I will sign a new agreement with the Al-Fujairah International Festival (UAE), focused on monodrama. This will allow us to exchange performances and theatre professionals more effectively.
AH: Creating a permanent training centre has long been a dream for many festival leaders. What is the status of that project?
SM: This project was initiated in 2018, during the festival’s 25th edition, in collaboration with the ATI and the International Theatre Institute (ITI).
At the time, then-Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem approved the project, which was scheduled to launch the following year. The idea was for the centre’s activities to run year-round.
Recently, we have revived the project with the help of the current minister, Ahmed Fouad Hanno. All that remains is to find a suitable location for the workshops and artist residencies.
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*This article was originally published in Al-Ahram Hebdo (French) on 4 September 2025. Translation and additional edit: Ahram Online.
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