Al-Fann theatre, condemned to be demolished, has received a reprieve, for now at least, reports Nevine El-Aref The fierce debate stirred two weeks ago between the Ministry of Culture and Cairo governorate on the one hand and theatre director Galal El-Sharqawi and Egyptian actors on the other over the demolition of Al-Fann theatre has turned out to be a storm in a teacup. After the intervention of Ashraf Zaki, chairman of the Actors' Union, and following meetings between Cairo Governor Abdel-Azim Wazir and Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, the dispute has been resolved by the simple expedient of renting the theatre to El-Sharqawi on the condition he upgrade its safety features. The story began in Ramadan immediately after Egypt's National Theatre was gutted by fire. The subsequent survey by the Civil Defence Agency to assess safety regulation compliance in theatres and other public buildings found the Al-Fann theatre, located in the backyard of the Music Institute on Ramses Street in Downtown Cairo, sadly wanting. A month after the mission completed its survey Habib El-Adli, the minister of interior, ordered Cairo governorate to demolish the theatre. Cairo governorate has now allowed El-Sharqawi a two-month grace period to upgrade the safety features of the theatre and implement all obligatory civil defence recommendations. The measures aim to safeguard the theatre against any unexpected blaze which would threaten not only Al-Fann but the neighbouring Music Institute, a building that was listed as of historical significance in 1992. If El-Sharqawi meets the requirements then Al-Fann will be allowed to resume the staging of performance though only until an alternative venue is found. Al-Fann, which was initially named after Farid Al-Atrash, was built in 1976 on land that was originally a storehouse for the Music Institute. The decision to demolish it had angered El-Sharqawi, the current leaseholder, who accused Culture Minister Farouk Hosni of using fire regulations as an excuse to close down the venue. El-Sharqawi called on actors, writers and directors to oppose Hosni's nomination as the next director-general of UNESCO and filed a law suit against the Ministry of Culture and Hosni in order to stop what he described as "a comedy". He was supported by actors Mahmoud Yassin and Samiha Ayoub, who expressed their astonishment at the decision to demolish the building. Ayoub claimed the demolition order was an injustice to both El-Sharqawi and a theatre that for 30 years had been an important player in the theatrical life of the nation. "How can such a building be demolished at the time that the country needs more theatres to be built?" she wondered. Yassin denounced the demolition as "a crime that will never be forgiven" and as a "plot against El-Sharqawi". Director Samir El-Asfouri adopted an alternative view, wondering why there should be such a display of concern over the theatre now, and pointing out that it had, after all, been constructed on land belonging to the Music Institute, the existence of which it now threatened. El-Asfouri suggested that the Ministry of Culture donate land in the Al-Samer area to El-Sharqawi so that he could construct a purpose built theatre that would be adjacent to the Balloon and Al-Ghad theatres and the National Circus. Hosni was shocked by El-Sharqawi's attacks, stressing that he had always been supportive of the director and his troupe and pointing out that the ministry had to close Al-Hanager and the Balloon theatres and upgrade them so they met safety regulations. "Why would the ministry deliberately seek an excuse to demolish a theatre when in the last two decades it has allocated resources to building dozens of new ones?" Hosni wondered. El-Sharqawi's statements on his nomination as UNESCO director-general, Hosni continued, amounted to "disloyalty to the nation".
