Although theatre, as an art form, is said to have been present during the time of the pharaohs, the theatre most of us are familiar with today didn’t exist in Egypt until fairly recently—starting in the late 18th century, to be precise. Ancient Greece is known to have been the birthplace of modern theatre, with their tragedies, comedies and satires being both studied and performed to this very day. It is believed, however, that some form of theatre preceded this both in Greece and Ancient Egypt. These Ancient Egyptian shows were quite different from the drama we are familiar with today however, and were most likely ritualistic and religious in nature, without a certain type pf structure or storyline to it. That being said, we will look more closely at the evolution of modern ‘dramatic’ theatre in Egypt. Egypt’s Introduction to Theatre According to information provided through Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS), theatre first appeared in Egypt during the French campaign in 1789. Almost a century later, in 1869, Khedive Ismail established the French Comedy Theatre and the Opera House as part of celebrations he had prepared on the occasion…
From Comedy to Tragedy: A Brief History of the Evolution of Theatre in Egypt
October 7, 2020
