Medhat Al-Adl: Kuwaiti Audience is a Partner in the Success of 'Umm Kulthum... Drowned in Her Voice'
Medhat Al-Adl meets the Kuwaiti audience to present the play 'Umm Kulthum' in December.
Translated by Qiyas from النهار — Original source
Egyptian writer and producer Dr. Madhat Al-Adl is preparing to meet the Kuwaiti audience on December 4 at the musical play “Umm Kulthum: Drowned in the Lady’s Voice,” hosted at the National Theater within the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center. The production is an artistic endeavor that revisits the biography and exceptional musical legacy of the Star of the East, 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 to my family, my people, my sisters, and my dears from Kuwait. Kuwait means a great deal to me. Since my childhood, I have been connected to it through the Kuwaiti magazine ‘Al-Ma’rifa’ (Knowledge). It was also the first Gulf country to know theater, and a nation of culture and enlightenment for which I harbor deep affection and a special place in my heart.”
He added, “I am greatly honored and delighted to be in Kuwait on December 4 to present the play at the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center. Umm Kulthum has visits, concerts, meetings, friendships, and loved ones 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 play’s success in Kuwait, God willing. We are not coming merely to present a performance, but to meet an audience we are proud of and hold in the highest regard and affection.”
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 prominent milestones of her life and her most famous songs, reviving the atmosphere of the golden age of Arabic music.
He emphasized that the work 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 production combines drama, music, singing, and spectacle.
Al-Adl stated, “When we speak of Umm Kulthum, we are also speaking of theater. Therefore, the theatrical form is the most suitable for embodying her artistic and human legacy and presenting 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 show that rivals major global musicals, such as Broadway productions, in terms of execution quality and visual and musical 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 figures in singing, who left an indelible mark on the history of Arabic music, with her influence transcending the boundaries of time and space.
