Medhat Al-Adl: Kuwait is my home and my people; meeting its audience at 'Dybin Fi Sawt Al-Sitta' pleases and honors me

With feelings of affection and pride, Egyptian writer and producer Dr. Madhat Al-Adl is preparing to meet the Kuwaiti audience on December 4 through the musical play “Umm Kulthum: Drowned in the Lady’s Voice,” which will be hosted at the National Theatre within the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre. The production is an artistic endeavor that revisits the biography of the Star of the East and her exceptional musical legacy, featuring more than 65 artists and performers.

In a press statement, Al-Adl expressed his great joy at visiting Kuwait and presenting the play to its audience, saying, “Welcome, my family, my people, my brothers and sisters, and my dears from Kuwait. Kuwait means a great deal to me. Since my childhood, I have been connected to it through Kuwait’s ‘Alam al-Ma’rifa’ (World of Knowledge) magazine. It was also the first Gulf country to know theatre, and a nation of culture and enlightenment that holds a special place of love and esteem in my heart.”

He added, “I am deeply honored and delighted to be in Kuwait on December 4 to present the play at the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre. Umm Kulthum has visits, concerts, meetings, friendships, and beloved admirers in Kuwait. It brings me great pleasure and joy to meet the esteemed Kuwaiti people through this work, especially since the Kuwaiti audience was among the reasons for the play’s success in Egypt. Many used to travel to Cairo on weekends to watch it.”

Al-Adl continued, “I hope the Kuwaiti audience will also contribute to the success of the play in Kuwait, God willing. We are not coming merely to present an artistic performance, but to meet an audience we are proud of and hold in the highest affection and respect.”

Regarding the nature of the show, Al-Adl clarified that Umm Kulthum was not just an exceptional voice, but the memory of a nation and a story of an era whose details remain vivid in the consciousness of the Arab public. He noted that the play brings the Star of the East back to the stage through an artistic journey that evokes the most significant milestones of her life and her most famous songs, reviving the atmosphere of the golden age of Arabic music.

He emphasized that the production does not offer a conventional autobiography, but rather reveals unknown aspects and stories from Umm Kulthum’s life, including the love stories associated with her and her relationship with her songs. The theatrical treatment blends drama, music, singing, and spectacle.

Al-Adl said, “When we speak of Umm Kulthum, we are also speaking of theatre. Therefore, the theatrical form was the most suitable to embody her artistic and human legacy and present it to new generations in a different way.”

He pointed out that the play offers a massive musical and spectacular experience, relying on diverse visual and artistic elements, including movement, costumes, and dazzling scenes. He expressed his ambition to deliver a production that rivals major global musicals, including Broadway shows, in terms of execution quality and visual and vocal richness.

The Kuwaiti performance gains additional significance as it approaches the anniversary of Umm Kulthum’s birth on December 31. The celebration serves as an occasion to recall the career of one of the most prominent vocal figures who left an indelible mark on the history of Arabic music, with her influence transcending the boundaries of time and place.

Ticket sales opened in mid-October, and the public can now reserve seats through the website of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre, in preparation for this evening where the memory of Arabic melody meets the art of theatre, in a production that celebrates the Star of the East and retells her story to her audience and fans.