Global Arab Network | British (Damascus) visits Six Arab Countries

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British (Damascus) visits Six Arab Countries

Global Arab Network - - Adam Turner

Sunday, 29 March 2009 18:43

The British Council is organising a regional tour of the British play Damascus, written by David Greig, during March and April of this year in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, and the Palestinian territories. The tour is also produced by the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, and Michael Edwards and Carole Winter.

This theatrical tour is organised within the framework of a broader British Council project that aims to explore the growing interest of UK theatre in the Arab culture, while providing an opportunity for the Arab audience to view plays that address their image in the UK, It also aims to create platforms for commenting on and debating these plays directly with British theatre makers, critics and journalists who have and interest in the region, and their Arab counterparts.

The tour will involve performances of the play followed by open discussion forums and dialogues between British and Arab theatre makers, critics, and journalists.

Some of the names involved in these dialogues are Jawwad Al Asady the Iraqi Director who lives in Lebanon; the Lebanese Director Paul Matar; the Egyptian Critic Nehad Seleiha, Dr. Hanan Kassab Hassan and Dr. Mary Elias from Syria; the author Raja Shehada and the researcher and novelist Adaneya AlShebly from Palestine. In addition, there are young directors and writers such as Omar Abu Seda from Syria; Laila Soliman from Egypt. Some of the UK participants include journalist Sarfraz Manzoor from The Guardian; theatrical critic Joyce McMillan from The Scotsman newspaper; critic David Adams; director Roxana Silbert; author and translator Penny Black, in addition to Philip Howard and David Greig, the director and the playwright of Damascus.

Damascus is set in the foyer of a small hotel. The play highlights the impact of pre-conceptions and stereotypes in identifying how people interact and relate to one another through the character of Paul who seeks to market his new book on teaching English in Damascus and his daily interactions with the nationals, their heated discussions and his walks in this fascinating old city alleys form the basis of the play.

Describing the experience that lead him to writing Damascus, Greig says: “Damascus came about as an unexpected by product of the artistic exchange I have been privileged to have with young theatre makers in the Middle East, particularly in Syria and Palestine since 2000. During that time I have led a number of playwriting workshops in the region facilitated and encouraged by, amongst other organizations, The British Council”. He adds: “whatever the Arab writers learned – the workshops ended up teaching me an enormous amount about the complexities of relations between the west and the Arab world. In the end, despite my best efforts to avoid it, I felt compelled to write a play to explore those complexities”.
David Greig is a central figure in a new generation of Scottish playwrights who emerged in the 1990s and have contributed to the renaissance of Scottish playwriting. This generation is best known for having presented contemporary Scotland to the world by blending its powerful sense of its history with a profound care for its future. Since the production of his first professional play in 1992, Greig has attracted remarkable interest in Britain and Europe. His plays have been performed widely in Scotland, translated and produced in almost every country in Europe, United States, Canada and Australia.

Laila Hourani, the Regional Manager for Creativity and Mutuality in the British Council says: “I think the Arab theatre audiences have a right to watch the works that address their image in the UK, and to directly communicate with the authors of these works. Facilitated by the British Council, this interaction deepens the experience of the British playwrights and reinforces their interest in the Arab culture through engaging in a real and effective dialogue with the Arab theatre audience and theatre makers”

The play will be performed in Tunisia on 3rd April 09 at 4ème Art Theatre at 19.30 and will be followed by an open discussion forum with the audience involving theatre makers, journalists, and their British counterparts. An open discussion forums and dialogues between British and Arab theatre makers, critics, and journalists will take place on the 4th April at the Institut Supèrieur d’Art Dramatiques from 10.00 to 16.00.

Global Arab Network

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