Sharjah: The ninth edition of the Sharjah Desert Theatre Festival, held in Al Kehaif area, featured the theatrical performance “Layla and One Hundred Nights”, written by Talib Al Doss and directed by Falih Fayez.

The production was presented by Qatar’s Al Saeed Artistic Production Company and explored the story of the character “Shaher”. The performance was attended by His Excellency Abdullah Al Owais, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Chairman of the Festival, along with a select group of local and Arab artists and an audience of theatre enthusiasts.

Cast of the play
A number of artists took part in performing the roles of the play, including Ibrahim Al Emadi, Ali Sultan, Talib Al Doss, Ibrahim Lari, Hanan Sadeq, Faisal Rashid, Khaled Al Humaidi, Abdullah Mubarak, Samir Jabr, Ibrahim Mabrouk “Mori”, Khaled Youssef, Amina Al Wukaili, Faisal Shaddad and Fatima Al Shorouqi.

Critical session on the dramatic structure and the director’s vision
Following the performance, a critical session was held and moderated by artist Jamal Al Saqr from the Kingdom of Bahrain. The discussion addressed the artistic and intellectual aspects of the work, with speakers praising the dramatic structure of the text and the director’s vision, as well as the production’s success in balancing tragedy and comedy.

A distinctive artistic experience
The director of the production affirmed that participating in the Sharjah Desert Theatre Festival represented a distinctive artistic experience, noting his collaboration with the playwright in developing the text over a period of three years.

At the conclusion of the event, Ahmed Bourhima, Festival Director, honoured the director of the performance and the moderator of the critical session, commending the efforts of the production team and their distinguished participation in the festival’s activities.