“Jamal Hami Al-Sour”: A Puppeteer’s Tale Evoking Kuwait’s Old Memories
Kuwait City, August 14 (KUNA) — The American Cultural Center hosted on Friday the puppet play “Jamal Hami Al-Sour” (Jamal, the Wall’s Protector), aimed at children and families, as part of the “Summer Cultural 18” festival organized by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters.
The play, presented by Energy Creative Company, revives aspects of life in Kuwait during the pre-oil era, when the city was a commercial coastal hub and a key node for maritime and land trade. Camel caravans served as a vital artery for trade and the transport of goods.
On her part, author Huda Al-Shawa told KUNA that using puppets to narrate social history to children transforms historical events, facts, and information about ways of life in past Kuwait into an engaging, lively visual experience. She noted that children tend to empathize with puppet characters and, through them, grasp the human values underlying the dialogues and events. She emphasized that the goal is to entertain while focusing on interactive learning.
Al-Shawa added that, as a writer of children’s literature, she strives to develop historical and cultural awareness among the current generation by drawing on the local environment in storytelling. This allows children to see landmarks from their city’s past in the theatrical performance, such as the traditional neighborhood (fereej), mud-brick houses, the market, the city wall, animals from the surrounding nature, and characters to whom they can relate. This, in turn, strengthens their connection to their roots and heritage and helps them understand life in contemporary times.
The play explores the role of Kuwait’s city wall and its gates in protecting the city and its inhabitants. The gates were closed at night and opened in the morning, reflecting a facet of daily life in old Kuwait.
The narrative centers on “Little Jamal,” who finds himself facing a new responsibility: carrying and protecting goods during a journey with his parents and a camel herder in Kuwait City.
(End) S.H.D / F.A.S
