Debate and Accusations of Sudans Absence from Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre

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The Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre, in its 30th edition, kicks off this evening, on September 1, 2023, with the participation of nineteen Arab and foreign performances. However, the Sudanese theater is completely absent from the festival, which had previously featured a Sudanese theatrical performance titled The Eagle Reclaims Its Wings, directed by Walid Al-Alfi.

Sudanese theater critic, Al-Sir Al-Sayyed, sent a message to the festivals committee, questioning the reason behind the Sudanese theaters absence and the lack of an invitation under Sudans name.

In his message to the Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre administration, Al-Sayyed posed a direct and straightforward question: In one of the festivals discussions, there will be a debate about experimentation in Gulf theater, Iraq, the Levant, Egypt, the Arab Maghreb, and the diaspora, but not Somalia, Djibouti, or Sudan. Does the festivals administration not recognize the Sudanese theaters experience? Do they believe that Sudan has no association with what is called experimental?

Al-Sayyed went on to inquire, How can you deliberately exclude a country where theater has a history of over a hundred years, and it was one of the first countries to establish an academy for theater and music, an achievement only preceded by Egypt and Iraq? Is Sudan considered a mere Egyptian province or part of the Arab Maghreb?

According to Al-Sayyed, this exclusion is an action that does not befit a festival of this age and does not befit Egypt, its government, its people, or its theater professionals. In fact, it is an action that goes beyond the realm of possibility: firstly, the festivals administration may be unaware of Sudans theater status, which is unlikely. Secondly, the second possibility is that they hold a hidden belief that Sudan does not deserve recognition.

Al-Sayyed concluded his message, addressing Arab theater professionals participating in the festival, as well as Egyptian theater professionals engaged in Arab theater issues, and Sudanese theater professionals. He urged them to demand answers from the festivals administration: Why was Sudan excluded? to prevent such actions from recurring, actions that lack sensitivity, including political sensitivity.