From 21 to 29 November 2015, Sutton Theatres presents UK's first North African theatre and dance festival: three distinct companies with artists from Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt, in addition to a programme of accompanying events.
In the wake of the post-independence in the Arab World and ongoing media focus on the region, Marhaba Maghreb festival aims to give a voice to some of the most important young North African artists who are exploring globally relevant issues and defying preconceptions.
The festival opens with French-Algerian choreographer Hervé Koubi’s UK debut What The Day Owes To The Night, previously seen at the Bolshoi and New York Ballet. This work for 12 Algerian male dancers combines capoeira, martial arts, urban and contemporary dance with imagery evocative of Orientalist paintings and the stone filigree of Islamic architecture.
Other highlights will include Plastic, an international co-production with theatres and festivals in UK, Netherlands and Italy, from Tunisian director Meher Debbich Awachri, about young North Africans aspirations. The show exposes the human conflict between East and West, between those who think they are winners and others who think they are losers. What brings the young people together is the trade of empty plastic bottles.
Beri Juraic, Director of Sutton Theatres and Festival curator said, “as someone who has been working and visiting North Africa regularly, I have been fascinated by the distorted image of the people and the region in the Western media. By giving a platform to young artists from the region who are already being recognised on the international stage, I wanted to show that that image should and must be rectified.”
The festival also features Cie El-Ajouad’s debut with its 2013 Avignon Festival hit End/Ignified, written by the controversial Algerian journalist Mustapha Benfodil, about the self-immolations which started the Arab spring.