When they saw the puppet Al-Argouz coming out onto the small portable stage, the children beamed with happiness.
This scene is repeated every day in a village in Egypt.
The ‘Confrontation and Roaming Theatre’ is part of the Decent Life initiative and organised by the Ministry of Culture, represented by the Artistic House of Theatre.
Artist Ismail Mokhtar leads the theatre with its director Mohamed el-Sharqawy.
“The ‘Confrontation and Roaming Theatre’ does what it says on the proverbial tin. It confronts negative, harmful ideas in society,” el-Sharqawy told the Egyptian Mail.
“It roams, bringing plays produced by the state everywhere in Egypt,” el-Sharqawy added, noting that all people have the right to watch theatre. This project spreads culture to everyone, everywhere to reach all people of all classes and ages.
“For most of villages, theatre is a totally new experience,” he said.
The Confrontation and Roaming Theatre began in 2018 and has so far staged more than 400 performances in 21 governorates including the 145 villages covered by the Decent Life initiative.
One show, Wilad il-Balad (Sons of the Country), directed by el-Sharkawy, discusses several issues through art — the floating of the Egyptian Pound, corruption, illegal immigration and the heroism of the soldiers and police on the borders.
This theatre discusses issues affecting the man in the street Egyptian, el-Sharkawy said.
“Rural audiences feel that this message of the play is just for him/her, confronting them with their concerns,” he said.
“We chose and targeted these problems in coordination with the Ministry of Culture and the Cabinet,” he added.
“The target audience is everyone – the disabled, children, the elderly people, men and women.
“They can perform anywhere. The ministry lays on roaming theatres for the places where there are no proper venues.
“Roaming theatres are fully equipped vehicles with lighting and sound equipment and changing rooms for the actors.
“We can perform anywhere: in a school yard or youth centre or even in someone’s garden,” el-Sharkawy said.
“Twelve troupes work with The Confrontation and Roaming Theatre project and they are always preparing for new shows,” he added.
“After the initial success of the project, it became a permanent fixture under the auspices of the Culture Ministry.
“Audiences are large but there is always pleasant and witty interplay between them and the actors,” Ahmed Khames, writer and theatre critic, told the Egyptian Mail.
Minister of Culture Enas Abdel Dayem expressed her happiness with the public turnout and the rapport between actors and public.
“Turnout and rapport show we are on the right track to combat negative ideas through art and creativity,” Abdel Dayem said. “The shows are aimed at strengthening the Egyptian identity, supporting the cultural role in the governorates, and achieving justice through letting the creative product reach all the parts of the society,” she added.
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