RIYADH: A theater production featuring rising Saudi actors made history on Friday with unaccompanied women in the audience for the first time.
The play, “Life of an Emperor,” a comedy based on the 2000 Disney fantasy “The Emperor’s New Groove,” was hosted by Dar Al Uloom University.
Families entered the theater together with their children, newlyweds and groups of friends. There was no segregation or sections dividing families.
The play, the first of its kind in Riyadh, found huge success, with a Saudi woman actor, Najat, taking the lead.
Ghada Al-Rashaid, a social media influencer who attended the event, said: “The actors were hilarious. And the female actor (Najat) has an amazing voice.”
The theater production was organized by the VOUCH company, which previously staged the concert by the Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji — the Kingdom’s first performance by a female star.
Only a short time ago, a woman attending an entertainment event in the Kingdom by herself was considered taboo. But Al-Waleeda Al-Rawaili, a student at the university, was excited to be able to watch the play unaccompanied.
“I saw them organizing the play and rehearsing, and it had an amazing ambience. I just had to attend,” she said.
Food trucks outside the university served the audience with a variety of snacks.
Theater comedy in Saudi Arabia delivers laughs — and a place in history
Theater comedy in Saudi Arabia delivers laughs — and a place in history
