The play The Master of Time (Sayed El-Waqt) recounts the story of the enigmatic 12th century mystic Shahab Ad-Din As-Suhrawardī, founder of Al-Ishraq, the Illuminationism school of Islamic philosophy and mysticism, which is based on the notion of the “Light of Lights”.

The limited space of El-Ghad Theatre is transformed at the expert hands of designer Nadia Elmelegy. She manages to widen the physical space of the theatre through her elegant use of fabric, using semi-transparent sides painted with outlines of whirling dervishes, filled with Arabic calligraphy.

The glorious backdrop is embellished with calligraphic design, which adds more depth to the space. When backlit, it lends a sense of mystery to the venue. Beautiful brass lanterns adorn the center stage and part of the aisles.

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Photos: Bassam Al-Zoghby