Beloved folk hero returns to Old Cairo.

This week, I ventured again to the back allies of Gamaleya, the old neighborhood situated behind Al-Hussein Mosque in old Cairo. There was no problem climbing over rubble from dug up roads and avoiding potholes, I knew that my prize waited for me at the end of this road: an inspiring theater performance.

Soubian we Banat (Boys and Girls) troupe was in the hood presenting "Ali Al-Zeibaq," a play worth traveling for.

Ali Al-Zeibaq is one of the most beloved folk heroes of the Egyptian Seera, the medieval epic tales of chivalry and gallantry. In Cairo, witnessing the injustices and humiliation the people suffered at the hands of their foreign rulers, Ali decided to take the law into his own hands and to teach the tyrant a few lessons.

Most of these anecdotes see him disguising himself as he attacks head of the police, Sonqor Al-Kalby, whether to return some of the riches the high official usurped from the people or to pretend he is the barber and shave off his beard and moustache, the symbol of manhood at the time, forcing him to stay home-bound until they grow back.

Ali always managed to disappear after every incident, and was never caught, hence his nickname, Al-Zeibaq (Mercury).

When Al-Kalby gradually seemed to be losing control, his superior, an Iraqi head of police in the sultanate named Dalilah, devised a plan to capture him through the power of love. Her plot involved pretending that her beautiful daughter was under attack, knowing that the gallant Ali would come to her rescue.

Never caught by the sword, Ali fell under the spell of Dalilah's daughter.

Dalilah's plans succeeded, and the life of Al-Zeibaq was taken. For decades, Ali has become the symbol of rebellion; an inspiration for the oppressed to revolt over tyranny. That's why his tale remains as relevant now as it was two centuries ago.

The enthralling story of Ali Al-Zeibaq has served as the basis for many dramatic treatments. Ali Samir, the founder of Soubian we Banat troupe, adapted the play to fit the requirements of the group's exceptional performance in Wekalet El-Kharoub.

The location of the performance is an integral part of the story. Wekalet El-Kharoub was a small derelict site behind Beit El-Suheimy in Al-Hussien area. The Friends of Environment and Development Association (FEDA), established by visionary physicist Dr Adly Beshay to restore and renovate large parts of Gamaleya area, sponsored the restoration of Wekalet El-Kharoub.

Brining the dilapidated building back to life is only one step in the process of development, according to FEDA. In addition to the health clinic, computer training centers for children, health and education lectures for women and teaching handicrafts skills, FEDA decided to use theater, regarding it as a powerful tool to change people.

The young actors of the Soubian we Banat troupe are all residents of the Gamaleya neighborhood. Most of them have never been on stage before.

Samir worked with this keen group of young men and women, educating them on acting techniques, stage movement, voice projection and how to carry themselves in front of an audience.

Within 13 months, all participating youth were transformed: the shy became outgoing, the clumsy performed gracefully, and the inaudible was performing loudly into the space of Wekalet El-Kharoub. The young actors performed the story of Ali Al-Zeibaq beautifully, engaging their audiences, mesmerizing the young with the charm of theater, capturing the minds and hearts of the elderly, and propelling every audience member to clap or sing with them.

This performance is site-specific, created in and for this late Ottoman site. The architecture of the Wekalet El-Kharoub, with its arcaded courtyard and open gallery above, functioned as the main set of the play. Samir's direction utilized every part of the space: calls echoed under the arcades, gossip about the adventures of Al-Zeibaq was shared from the galleries and balconies, dances numbers performed in the courtyard under the ropes of flags and lights that designer Nipal Hisham added to create a festive atmosphere. Hisham was able to evoke the medieval air further through simple elements in the costumes of the performers.

The centuries-old dE[umlaut]cor acted as a perfect contrast to the young actors. The 18-year-old Ahmed Hilal, in the role of Ali, and Mohamed Bendary shone under the Cairo sky with powerful presentations that cumulated with them asking the audience about when they're going to take action to end their oppression.

The oppressor Ahmad Adel (Al-Kalby), and his hilarious assistants Ahmad Aly (Otham) and 15-year-old Hussien Said (Ka'boura), invoked both fear and laughter. The six female narrators (a dramaturgical addition from Samir to accommodate the large number of women in the group) captured the attention of the audience, especially the playfulness of narrator Yasmin Mohamed.

Soubian we Banat's "Ali Al-Zeibaq" is one of the most energetic, soulful and exciting Egyptian performances shown staged in Cairo this year.

Through it, the audiences can witness how the magic of theater not only transform the cast, but also its audience, creating a community with theater.

For information on performances and activities in Wekalet El-Kharoub, call FEDA: [phone]. Aa

Daily NewsEgypt 2009

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