A history of theatre in the Gulf and its bright future in the KSA

After that came the translation of "Kalila and Dimna" by Ibn al-Muqaffa, which marked the true beginnings of storytelling and theatrical art in the region.

Global influence

Theatre had existed in Greece for four thousand years, and some form of it existed during the time of the Pharaohs in Egypt. But the reality is the foundation of theatre in the Arabian Peninsula was weak in comparison. Poetry was much more popular.

During the Middle Ages, the whole world seemed to be enamoured by theatre and many formative works began to emerge.

Shakespeare's plays, for instance, were all the rage – and they're still relevant to this day. French theatre provided influential literary works by Molière, especially his play "The Miser," which Arab artists drew from during the early stages of their theatrical experiments.

Meanwhile, Russian playwrights like Pushkin and Chekhov highlighted theatre's ability to reflect on societal issues and examine the human condition.

Theatre in Kuwait

Theatre in the Gulf goes back to the 1920s.

Some history buffs believe that the first theatrical experience in Kuwait took place in 1922 at the Ahmediya School. But historians generally agree that theatre first came to Kuwait in 1938, thanks to educators who had recently arrived in the country, and whose students were taken by the art form.

At the Al Mubarkiya school, students presented their first play in the late 1930s, titled "Omar's Conversion to Islam." Then came "The Conquest of Egypt". A third play followed in 1940, which was also when the first theatrical group formed at the Al Sharqiya School.

Theatre in the UAE

Meanwhile, in the United Arab Emirates, rudimentary theatrical events began to take shape in the early 1950s.

The first fully developed, written, and directed play appeared on stage in 1963 when the Al Falah Sports and Cultural Club in Sharjah presented "For the Sake of My Son" by Wathiq Al Dayni.

After that, theatrical groups began to form in popular clubs and arts associations, culminating in the establishment of the first independent theatrical band in 1972 under the name of "National Youth Theatre" in Dubai.

Theatre in Qatar

In Qatar, theatre grew out of improvisation. This was followed more formally in 1959 by the establishment of the Al Tali'ah Club, who performed several plays including "Al Fatash" and "Between the Past and the Present."

The Senior Staff Club also presented shows such as "Arabs of Palestine" and "Father's Advice." At the same time, school theatres began to gain prominence.

In 1959, the Doha School performed a play entitled "Bilal ibn Rabah". Four years later, a localised adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" appeared as "The Merchant of Basra".

Theatre in Bahrain

According to Bahraini scholars, the first appearance of theatre in Bahrain goes back to the first half of the 20th century.

The inaugural performance is believed to have taken place in 1925, staged by the Al Hidaya Al Khalifiya school in Al Muharraq, which opened in 1919 as the first official school in Bahrain.

The play was entitled "The Judge by the Order of God." Later, Bahraini historian Mubarak Al Khater corrected the title to "A Judge by the Order of God" in his book "Historical Theatre in Bahrain."

Theatre in the Kingdom

In Saudi Arabia, theatrical experiments began to emerge in 1935, when King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud visited the city of Unaizah in the Qassim region.

He attended a school play entitled "Khosrow and the Arab Delegation" along with three others: "The Tea and the Students," "The Blind Man," and "A Dialogue between Colloquial and Formal Arabic."

If we look at the theatrical movement during the 1970s, some astonishing developments took place.

In 1973, an official entity named the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts was formed, which was sponsored at the time by the General Presidency for Youth Welfare.

Playwright Ibrahim Al-Hamdan adapted Molière's theatre, specifically the play "The Doctor in Spite of Himself," which he titled "The Doctor with the Stick".

It was the first play to enjoy widespread popularity in the Kingdom.

Theatrical activity in the kingdom was supposed to be supported by the creation of the "Theatrical Arts Department" at King Saud University in Riyadh.

However, this department was shut down in 1990, further frustrating aspiring theatre professionals looking for a viable way forward within the theatre movement.

Signs point to the so-called "Sahwa movement", and its representatives, being accountable for this sudden shift. They acted as a special kind of "inquisition court" over Saudi arts at the time, leading to the suppression of many national creative treasures.

A migration to TV

There was also a notable scarcity of comedy in Gulf theatre, particularly in Saudi Arabia.

Gulf theatre historians have noted the rarity of this genre between the 1970s and 1990s. Only a few such plays were staged in each country.

Perhaps there was an underestimation of what "comedy" could be. Some might have viewed it as a cheap way to get laughs or entertain audiences with jokes.

However, there were authentic Egyptian comedic experiences (that have not been translated or adapted) which proved otherwise, such as Alfred Farag's "The Shoemaker" and Tawfiq al-Hakim's "The Confused Sultan," among others.

For one reason or another, this type of stage comedy didn't make its way to the Gulf region.

Soon, however, the importance of theatre in general declined, and many Saudis moved from the stage to television.

Among them were Abdullah Al-Sadhan, Nasser Al-Qasabi, Dr. Bakr Al-Shiddi, the late Mohammed Al-Ali, and Abdulilah Al-Sinani.

If they had continued to contribute to the theatre, perhaps, they could have initiated an early theatrical renaissance. But that was not the case, and their abandonment of theatre also meant that an entire generation of emerging stage actors grew up without mentors.

These aspiring talents, who "lost" access to the regional forefathers of theatre, continue to experiment nonetheless, drawing inspiration from the media and scattered books.

Theatrical revival

Today, however, theatre has a new opportunity to reaffirm its presence in the Kingdom.

Specialised university departments are emerging, and several dedicated establishments have been founded to support the art form.

In early 2020, the Theatre and Performing Arts Commission launched, actively working to encourage investment, as well as the accreditation of professional training programs.

Less than two years later, the first Saudi Professional Association for Theatre and Performing Arts was established, led by actor Nasser Al-Qasabi and featuring big names from the theatre scene.

And with the support of the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture (Ithra) for theatrical arts, we can be optimistic that long-awaited renaissance of Saudi theatre is finally on the horizon.