‘King Lear' premieres on July 8 at the National Theater
The play brings together a host of stars, including Tarek al-Desouky, Eman Ragai, Amal Abdullah, Hassan Youssef, Ahmed al-Nasser, Islam Abbas, Diaa Shafik, Hamdi Attia, Mohamed al-Azaizi, and Adel Khalaf.
The National Theater held a press conference on Saturday to announce the details of the theatrical production, attended by its stars.
The conference was hosted by director Mohamed Fadel, and held under the auspices of the Culture Ministry and as part of the activities of the Cultural Production Sector, led by director Khaled Galal, and organized by the National Theater Company, led by artist Ayman al-Shiwy.
The conference began with a speech by artist Tarek al-Dessouky, who expressed joy at returning to the National Theater stage with such a monumental work like 'King Lear' – a timeless play that continues to be performed on stages around the world.
He expressed his hope that the show would achieve great success.
Shiwy warmly welcomed the attendees, emphasizing that this work is worthy of the history and symbolism of the National Theater, and that it is a source of pride for the troupe and all participants. He also announced that offers had been submitted from five Arab countries to host the show.
Director Shady Sorour expressed his gratitude to the National Theater Company for giving him the opportunity to direct the play, which he considered a long-awaited personal dream, especially for co-starring star Yahiya el-Fakharany.
Fakharany spoke passionately about his historical relationship with the National Theater, noting that it represents, for him, his true belonging to theater.
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Few artists have shaped the cultural and political fabric of the Arab world quite like Ziad Rahbani, and his passing on 26 July registered among millions as a significant loss for the region's cultural heritage. A multi-talented composer, playwright and pianist as well as an outspoken political commentator, Ziad Rahbani was born in 1956 in Lebanon, in a home already marked by artistic greatness. The son of the legendary singer Fairuz (Nouhad Haddad), who turned 90 last year, and the late composer Assi Rahbani (1923–1986), Ziad inherited more than immense musical talent, he also absorbed an intense sensitivity, a sharp intellect, a critical eye, and a fearless voice for political dissent. His upbringing was steeped in the creative atmosphere shaped by the Rahbani Brothers — Assi and his brother Mansour Rahbani (1925–2009) — visionary composers from the town of Antelias, north of Beirut. 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Rahbani's art defies creative perceptions and questions musical canons while his lyrics confront societal norms, all along capturing the pulse of Lebanese life during times of war, instability, change. Revolutionary and boldly visionary, he was also a romantic, with both qualities obvious throughout his creative life. Yet Rahbani was not so much a contradictory man but a deeply complex artist who carried within him a tangle of emotions: love and anger, clarity and confusion, tenderness and rebellion. He didn't resolve these tensions; he lived them, fully and unapologetically, channelling each into his music, theatre, writing. His work became a mirror of his inner world and the world that surrounded him; his creative voice was at times raw, at times refined, but always honest. His softer side shines through many of his songs. Who can find a more haunting and poetic piece than his over six-minute-long, slow-paced ballad Wahdon (On Their Own, 1979)? 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The sarcasm and theatrical absurdity that once defined his plays could no longer be seen as artistic exaggerations; they had become accurate, even understated, reflections on the absurdity of the human systems he opposed. It was a time when the volatile years of a young man influenced by Marxism, his alignment with the Lebanese Communist Party (LCP), began slowly shifting towards disillusionment as he became increasingly critical of the ideological dogmatism that characterised the Lebanese and Arab left. As time passed, themes of existential introspection and isolation began to permeate his creative work. His musical journey also greatly benefitted from this personal development. If it was not for this journey, we would not have had Ila Assi (For Assi), released in 1995, an album which Ziad Rahbani created as a tribute to his father, the renowned Lebanese composer Assi Rahbani. In it, Ziad breathes new life into 18 classic songs composed by the Rahbani brothers, many performed by Fairuz. Undeniably, this work is among the greatest testimonies to the artistic legacies and personal lives of his father, who passed away in 1986 (after a 1972 stroke that marred the rest of his life), and to the whole family. Ila Assi is also one of the clear bridges that Ziad created between the golden era of his parents' generation and contemporary Lebanese music and social commentary, and one of his countless musical collaborations with his mother. Equally, Fairuz's albums Wahdon (On Their Own, 1979) and Maarifti Feek (1987) are among the greatest examples of the mother-son duo, where the Lebanese icon is artistically revitalised by her son's innovative vision, always marking a transformative chapter in both their journeys. The year of Ila Assi, another album, Bema Enno (Given That) was released, marking a continuation of Rahbani's partnership with Joseph Sakr, which began in the early 1970s through various theatrical productions and musical projects. The 14-track Bema Enno stands as a testament to their creative synergy, blending traditional Arabic rhythms and Lebanese folklore with contemporary sounds. It is yet another work that addresses struggles of identity, belonging and existential reflection, embedded in a mix of irony, melancholy and resilience. In his career, Rahbani embarked on several collaborations, with one of the most interesting being that with Lebanese vocalist Salma Al-Mosfi — resulting in Monodose, a 2001 album he produced. While the album marked a significant moment in Al-Mosfi's career, Rahbani poured his many influences into it. The 11-track work draws inspiration from French chanson and classic bossa nova, set within a mix of jazz and Arabic influences. Un verre chez nous (A Drink at Our Place), and Mish Bass Talfinly (It's Not Enough to Just Call Me) are undeniably the album's highlights, with the first being a French chanson toying with relaxed groove, the latter embedded in bossa nova. He paid another powerful tribute to his mother with Eh Fi Amal (Yes, There Is Hope, 2010), Fairuz's 99th studio album. Receiving both critical acclaim and commercial success, the album became especially important for both artists. With this work, the Lebanese icon reaffirmed her status as a musical legend, while for Rahbani, it highlighted the significance of his collaboration with his mother. It is a work that echoes themes of family, memory and personal history, beautifully capturing their intertwined lives. Though in recent years Rahbani stepped out of the public spotlight for the most part, whenever he reappeared at occasional performances on regional stages, curated jazz sessions and festivals (including in Egypt), he always mesmerised his listeners. Ziad Rahbani was a man wholly consumed by his passion for art. His sharp satire often made audiences laugh, his music soothed listeners while awakening their souls. To him laughter was a form of survival, but never an escape. His music was an extension of his being human. Whether navigating writing, composing, arrangements or theatre, there was one thing at his core: He lived through creation. Maybe like Beckett's Vladimir and Estragon, Rahbani quietly hoped for Godot to arrive, for the meaning, and while doing so, he left behind a legacy of profound awareness translated into art. Rahbani's influence runs deep through the work of countless Arab artists who both honour and expand his legacy. From Lebanese musicians like Mashrou' Leila, Yasmine Hamdan, Tania Saleh and Zeid Hamdan, to theatre-makers such as Rabih Mroué — whose work grapples with war, media, and memory — and the politically engaged Zoukak Theatre Company, Rahbani's spirit of artistic defiance and innovation lives on. Equally, it moves beyond Lebanon and enters the souls of artists from Egypt and other Arab countries. As Tania Saleh commented to the media, 'I believe it started with him, because he was already independent — of his family, of the Lebanese music scene, and even of the larger Arab world. His influences came from everywhere. He was a true first.' Rahbani's legacy transcends generations, echoing through today's traditional Arab works, the indie scene, underground hip-hop and theatrical experiments. His music is still performed, his lyrics memorised by heart, his sharp wit and emotional honesty inspiring artists across disciplines. For many, Rahbani remains a blueprint: blending Arabic music and folklore with jazz, political critique with poetic intimacy, and theatre with activism. His body of work is not only culturally essential, it is an open-ended legacy: uncannily relevant and unsettling as well as urgently alive. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
