print campaign
2014
whims of freedom
(hawa el horreya)
a play at makan
hawaelhorreya.com
“When you read a period in black and white or sepia you give it a particularity; it has its own magic. But sometimes when you dive too much into the moment, all the black and white fades. And you read the papers, speeches, songs, and slogans as if you’re reading something from the moment you’re living.”
Exploring one revolution in the light of another, this performance pieces together stories of Egypt’s 1919 revolution, inevitably drawing parallels to the present.
World War I left Egyptians drained, defiant and on the brink of revolution. What unravels in the years that follow is one of the biggest peasant revolts in Egyptian history and a vibrant musical theatre-movement that brought a multifaceted revolution to the stage.
Almost 100 years later, in the light of the country’s ‘new dawn’, the performance sifts through moth-ridden state archives and broken records, magnifies old photos and confidential correspondences, composes gaps and fragments.
It is an attempt to understand history through the present and to decipher the essence of an era often spoken of but seldom listened to, deciphering the essence of a revolution untold.
Directed by:
Laila Soliman
Performed by:
Zainab Magdy
Nanda Mohammad
Text:
Zainab Magdy
Nanda Mohammad
Alia Mossallam
Laila Soliman
Historical Research:
Alia Mossallam
Dramaturgy:
Julia Schulz
Musical Research, Vocal Coach, Song Composition:
Mustafa Said
Producer, Lights, Video & Creative Advice:
Ruud Gielens
