Egypt's Culture Minister Ines Abdel-Dayem announced that cultural activities will gradually start to reopenin the country. The reopening will include theatres, museums, galleries, national circus, which operate under the culture ministry. In its first stage, the resumption of activities will be open at only 25 percent audience capacity across all venues. The ministry applies all precautionary and preventive measures with daily sterilization of the theatres in order to ensure the safety of the public, artists and workers.
Al Balloon Theatre Agouza, across the street from the Nile, by the 26 July Bridge, Tel 02 3347 1718 Al Balloon Theatre will resume its performances starting 10 July.
The Cairo Puppet Theatre Next to the Al-Attaba Metro Station, Tel 02 2591 0954 Farkash Lashkash, Misr Station and Rehlat Al-Zaman Al-Gamil (A Journey to the Good Time), a children play about some children who travel to the Pharaonic era written by Yehia Zakaria, puppets and costumes by Nagui Shaker, décor by Mohamed Saad and directed by Mohamed Nour (Performances run on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, 6.30pm).
Floating Theatre Abdel-Aziz Al-Saoud St, in front of Salaheddin Mosque, Manial, Tel 02 2368 4047, 012 8531 1358/ 0100 5233623 Afrah Al Koba(Performances run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 7.30pm).
Al-Hanager Arts Centre Gezira Exhibition Grounds, Zamalek, Tel 02 2735 6861 Al-Hanager Centre Theatre A selection ofdistinctive performanceswill be showed starting Thursday16 July such as Al- Laila Al Kebeira produced by the Cairo Puppet Theatre company as well as Otrouk Anfy (Leave My Nose) play produced by Al-Hanager Centre to be presented on Sunday and Monday 26 and 27 July.
Malak Opera Theatre 9 A Khalig Al-Khour St, Azbekiya district, Ramses, Tel 0122 3417152 Albakheel(The Miser), a play based on Molière's work. It casts Ashraf Tolba, Mahmoud Metwali, Suzanne Medhat, Noran Abdel-Hamid and many more. Décor by Rania Al-Dakhakhny, costumes designed by Nardeen Emad, shows choreographed by Sherly Ahmed, and directed by Khaled Hassouna (Performances run Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, 7.30pm).
Metropol (The Children's National) Theatre 6 Halim St, the beginning of 26th July, Attaba, Downtown, Tel 02 2593 3334 Al Qatat (The Cats), a play for children casts Merna Walid, Sayed Ragab, Mahmoud Hassan written by Safwat Zeinhom and directed by Safwat Sobhy and the Araguz Tales play (Performances run on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, 7pm).
Al-Qawmi (The National) Theatre Al Attaba Square, in front of Attab Post Office, Cairo, Tel, 02 25917783 The Optimist, a play revolves around the story of a person who overcomes obstacles and social illnesses to reach his goal through the merit of optimism. It casts Sameh Hussein, Sahar Al-Saygh, AhmedSiyam, Ayat Magdy. The play is an adaptation of Candide Voltaire's The Optimist, directed by Islam Imam (Performances run on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, 7.30pm).
Al-Salam Theatre 101 Qasr Al-Aini St, Tel 02 2795 2484/2794 3016/010 21521501 My Father Under the Treeplay isperformed bythe Modern Theatre Company (Performances run on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 8pm).
Taliaa Theatre Attaba Square, Tel 02 2593 7948 Salah Abdel-Sabour Hall Kaanak Tarah (As If You See Him) andNouh Al-Hamam(Cry of the Pigeons), a play casts Sawsan Rabie, Yasser Ezzat, Nashwa Hassanand Ahmed Magdy, written and directed by Akram Mustafaplays (Performances run on Fridays, Sundays and Wednesdays, 9pm). Zaki Tolaimat Hall Hareem Alnar (Women of Fire).It's an adaptation of Spanish dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba and Yaoum An Qatalu Al-Ghenaa(The Day They Killed Singing) a play on the struggle between two brothers in their journey of searching for the secret of existence and the secret of universe (Performances run on Thursdays, Saturdays and Mondays, 9pm).
The Ministry of Culture's electronic initiative “Stay at Home: Culture in Your Hands” presents the following theatrical shows online:
The Minister of Culture continues the theatrical initiative, “Laugh, Think, Know” held within the framework of the E-initiative “Stay at Home: Culture in Your Hands” to be broadcast on the ministry's YouTube channel.The initiative rediscovers the international masterpieces with the participation of some Egyptian theatre icons including stage directors Galal Al Sharqawi, Samir Alasfoury, Sanaa Shafei, Essam Alsayed, Fahmy Alkhouly. The initiative aims at presenting ten recorded plays as a first stage photographed by Ayman Mustafa, the plays are inspired by the short stories of the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Eachplay is between 20 to 50 minutes. The shows contain an explanation of the principles of Chekhovand analysis of the significance of the plays in order to achieve the goal of the initiative. The programme of playsis as follows: Thurs 9, 11pm: Abu Samoula play is an adaptation ofone of Anton Chekhov's short stories, written and directed by Mohamed Moursi, commenting on the show will be writer and critic Girguis Shoukry. The play casts Reda Edris, Islam Abdel-Shafeaa, décor by WalidGaber, lighting by IbrahimAlfornand music by Mohamed Shehata.
The Ministry of Culture website is at http://www.moc.gov.eg Its YouTube channel is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8McPibRT36QSjnt4eGucNw And its Facebook account is Egyptian MOC
The National Theatre Facebook account is https://www.facebook.com/national.theater.eg/
ALEXANDRIA Beram Al-Tunsi Theatre Al-Gaish St, Al Azaritah, Qesm Bab Sharqi, Alexandria, Tel (03)5929960/5913835 Happy Trip play performed by Alexandria Theatre Company (Performances run on Thursdays, Fridaysand Saturdays, 9pm).
*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 July, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
