Richard III: An Arab Tragedy
Part of 2009 Spring Season and Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas
Jun 9—12 at 7:30pm
Sabab / Sulayman Al-Bassam Theatre (Kuwait)
Adapted and directed by Sulayman Al-Bassam
"Al-Bassam's work is about as original and pulse-quickening as you could wish." —The Times (UK )
In an oil-rich kingdom, a dictator's bloody rise to power becomes an allegory of our own times in Richard III: An Arab Tragedy, Kuwaiti director Sulayman Al-Bassam's groundbreaking remake of Shakespeare's Machiavellian masterpiece. Grainy TV confessions, sophisticated propaganda, and a wealth of Arab music and ritual lend themes of leadership, religion, and foreign intervention an uncanny relevance, turning this classic play into a cautionary contemporary tale.
This work was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of the Complete Works Festival.
BAM Harvey Theater
Running time: 110min, no intermission
Subscription tickets: $20, 28, 36
(Full price: $25, 35, 45)
In Arabic with English titles
Artist Talk with Sulayman Al-Bassam
Jun 11, post-show (Free for ticket holders)
NY Times Review of Richard III: An Arab Tragedy
“Lively and often savagely funny…Richard III: An Arab Tragedy is energetic satire that, like its chief villain, never stops moving.” More
WNYC feature on Richard III: An Arab Tragedy
Listen to Karen Frillman’s backstage interview with director Sulayman Al-Bassam More
NY Post Review of Richard III: An Arab Tragedy
“Too bad Sulayman Al-Bassam's adaptation of "Richard III" is running only for three more days…because the show is well worth seeing.” More
NewsHour Profile of Sulayman al-Bassam
On PBS' NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown profiles Kuwaiti writer and theater director Sulayman al-Bassam.
First broadcast
Second broadcast
NPR Interview with Sulayman Al Bassam and Fayez Kazak
Listen to NPR's Jacki Lyden interview with Sulayman Al Bassam and Fayez Kazak. More
BBC feature on Richard III: An Arab Tragedy in the Arabesque Festival
Watch a short clip from the production and brief interview with Al Bassam as part of the review of the Kennedy Center’s Arabesque fesitval. More
Al Jazeera Interviews on Richard III: An Arab Tragedy’s opening in Stratford
First Interview
Second Interview
Third Interview
CNN Arabic feature and review
Read an interview with Al Bassam and review of the performance in Abu Dhabi. More