Shrek comes to Arabia: at Ithra Theatre

Shrek is the ultimate antihero: someone who is different and unapologetically happy with the way he is. He embraces and celebrates his imperfections and lonely but idyllic ogre life.

The story turned the standard fairy-tale narrative upside down: an ogre falls in love with a princess - nothing unusual there. Princess Fiona, it turns out is also an ogre and chooses to remain an ogre. For Shrek. For love.

It was a great twist - a breath of fresh air.?

The other unlikely love story is between Donkey and Dragon, a cross-species relationship with mixed-species kids – a heart-warming and surprisingly woke sub-plot.??

That was over 20 years ago. This year, Ithra brings Shrek the Musical to Saudi Arabia as the premier production of 2023, and the lessons are as important for the youth (and grownups) of today as ever: acceptance, belonging, body positivity, diversity and inclusion. The buzzwords of the day.?

Also, this is live theatre, where performers draw energy from the audience, and vice versa. Stage performers and technicians have one chance on the night to get it right and they have to make it big and bold to keep the audience happy.?

It’s an exciting and addictive atmosphere.

As the show opened, I was briefly transported to London’s West End where I am an avid theatregoer. But this was a touring show so less of a wow factor compared to the mega-musical productions in London and New York which have fixed venues for months on end.?

Ithra theatre is atmospheric and comfortable, and as is to be expected in the Gulf, a little rowdy, but well run. The Saudi-based audience was fun and interactive. They recognized the characters, cheered them on and applauded the songs. Shrek the Musical has a different score from the original film, but the cast delighted the audience with a signature hit at the end. The kids were still buzzing as we left.

Although theatre in general and musicals as a genre, in particular, are more commonly associated with Europe where there is a deep Greek, Roman and English heritage, there also exists a history of theatrical performance arts in the Arab world.?

In the 8th?century, for instance, the streets and souqs of Abbasid Baghdad were brimming with performers, their purpose to please and dazzle audiences. Professional storytellers would tell extraordinary tales, blending satire with skilful mimicry, copying the accents of the diverse communities living there at the time: Persian, Roman, Greek, Arabian, Khorasani, African etc.?

The Abbasid Caliph Al Mutawakkil was the first to introduce games, equestrian shows, entertainment, music and dance to the royal court.??Personally, though, he preferred comedy, from physical comedy to funny song lyrics and satire.??

The courts of the Abbasid caliphs were known to be intercultural rendezvous for cultural exchanges between nations, and artists and performers would come from near and far to present their talents to the caliphs. Travellers would tell stories, regaling and captivating kings and courtiers. Art has always been a great intercultural and unifying language.?

Music and dance performances were seen as high forms of art at that time, and the public would regularly attend concerts in playhouses as small-scale commercial productions.?

Another elite form of public entertainment popular in Abbasid times was shadow theatre. Instead of using actual actors, puppet masters would tell stories by manipulating light and shadows, using painted leather cut-outs as characters that were made to speak, move, dance, argue, fight and reconcile as though they were real people.?

Ibn Danial, a famous?Abbasid?shadow puppet master, would pick his characters from the souq:?preachers, snake charmers, herbalists (potion-makers), sorcerers,?astrologers, monkey trainers, elephant handlers, dancers, and slaves acting as acrobats and singers to tell his tales.?

Before the realms of CGI and video animation, puppets were used to give characters a third dimension, appearing as people on stage that the audience could relate to and sympathise with.?There are clear parallels with theatre as we know it today: the dramatic storyline, dialogue, lighting, props, costumes, singing and dancing.?

Ibn Danial then travelled to Mamluk Egypt, taking his artistry with him, setting in motion the beginnings of modern Arab theatre. Street theatre became a wildly popular?art form, firmly?establishing theatre culture?in Egypt which developed over time.

Towards the end of the 19th?century, shadow theatre moved to Turkey where it developed into puppet theatre or?qaraqoz?/aragoz. From there it spread to other Arab countries under Ottoman rule.?

Qaragos?puppet theatre was a cheap and mobile form of entertainment that could be set up anywhere in the souqs and squares of Arab cities and became a very popular folk performance art. Soon after, cinema was born but was still out of reach for most ordinary people.?

Historically, in the Arabian Peninsula, performance art was essentially sword dancing (ardha)?and poetry recitation.?

Ardha is a war dance performed by Bedouin Arab warriors before facing their enemies on the battlefield. The sword dance was a way for men to display their skills, weapons and fighting spirit. Over time, it has become a symbol of Saudi and Gulf culture. The combination of swords, slow movements, drums, and singing makes it a unique cultural performance.?

Poetry was an important form of communication and entertainment in the Arabian Peninsula. Reciting poetry was more powerful than just reading it, especially in a traditionally oral culture, as most people could not read or write. Recitation would allow the poet, or narrator on his behalf, to?perform?the poetry. He would interact with the audience at certain moments during the performance and they would interact back. The interactions would create a distinctive sense of community and connection.?

Today, in the Arab world, entertainment is mainly in the form of TV soap operas, films and short-form social media content. Live theatre and performance art seems to be low on the list of leisure viewing, but that’s where Ithra comes in. Every time a production is shown, we hope some creative minds are inspired and we will one day have home-grown theatre performance artists and scriptwriters.?

In?the?end, Shrek?the?Musical has a lot of fun to offer. It may not be?the?most visually appealing production ever created, but it is an enjoyable way to spend?the?night with your family and friends. I’m a big fan of supporting live performance artists, and the more we support theatre shows in the region, the better the offerings will be in future.?

According to Shrek, “Fairytales should be updated,” Who knows, maybe watching these theatre productions will spark a new Arab creative fairytale.?