Alfred Farag’s “Ali Ganah Al-Tabrezi and his Follower Qouffa is the inspiration for “Si Ali, El Salam Theatre’s current premier production this season. Those expecting a faithful adaptation’s of Farag’s classic play will be disappointed; the disparity between the text and the performance is massive.
Farag’s play is about the ability to believe in your dream to the extent that others can see it through your face, believe in your dream as much you do, and even invest in it.
Farag wrote this play more than 30 years ago, and recent scientific research proves his theory. The brain secretes the same chemicals whether one tastes the food or thinks about it. The nervous system undergoes a similar effect when one imagines something or actually experiences it. Farag’s themes were ahead of his time.
Unfortunately, the current production fails to capture the wisdom or the wit of his original play.
The first scene lays out the key viewpoint of Farag on the tongue of his mouthpiece, prince Ali Ganah Al Tabreezi (Mohamed El Helw). Although he lost his fortune, the prince insists on entertaining his guest, the poor shoemaker, Qouffa (Mahmoud El Guindy).
He orders his servant to bring out a banquet for him. When the servant comes empty handed, Ali elaborates in describing the mouthwatering food and insists on offering his guest scrumptious bits of imaginary meat and pretend delicious delights.
Qouffa plays along, pretends to enjoy the imaginary meal. He expresses his satisfaction and gratitude before turning to the audience and confides that his host could be insane. Ali explains later that though there is no food in front of them, there is food on someone else’s table, somewhere else, and they are tapping into that energy.
This original approach to life and its subtle nuances are completely lost in the current adaption. Instead of a shrewd prince with a perceptive knowledge of the human mind and heart, Si Ali emerges as a flat character, neither an inspiring visionary with a new approach to life nor a cunning charlatan out to take what is not his.
Ali finds a kindred spirit in Qouffa and convinces him to be his follower. They travel together, and when they reach a town full of beggars, Ali deduces that it must be a rich one, because riches create poverty. He instructs Qouffa to buy him the most expensive chair, to be imaginative in describing how affluent his master is, and how big his caravan of merchandize must be. The town merchants, along with the beggars and tramps, are stunned with the generosity of this foreigner and assume that he must be very wealthy. Their greed makes them loan him large sums of money, in hope of a share of his fortune.
The dream of the caravan lures even the king (Lotfy Labeeb), who offers his daughter (Faiza Kamal) to Ali, and opens his treasury to the stranger, expecting to be reimbursed handsomely. The caravan does not materialize and Ali is eventually thrown in jail, but still believes he is free.
His belief leads him to freedom with the help of his follower, Qouffa and his wife, the princess.
Mounir Morad’s production adheres closely to the plotline and the structure of Farag’s play, almost scene by scene, but adds his signature operetta dance tableaux wherever he can, supplemented by a large number of dancers, in addition to his star-studded cast.
Unfortunately, most of the star actors are not cast in the right roles. Apart from Labeeb, all the main characters are miscast: Kamal is too old for the role of the young princess, her actual age matches well with singer El Helw, also too old for the young dreamer Ali. El Helw has a lovely singing voice, but his acting skills are limited and do not meet the demands of the role.
A bigger problem than the age gap is the lack of faith in the text on the part of the actors. Most of them seem to be not enticed enough with the original text, deciding, as a result, to take the dramaturgical matter into their hands through adorning the play with jokes and one-liners.
The interactions between the characters are unbelievable, mainly because the performers are not in character, appearing to be constantly on the haunt for the next opportunity to crack a joke.
Most of the comedy in “Si Ali neither stems from the characters nor the situations; the core of the play’s comedy is essentially rooted in meaningless puns on the actual names of the actors and other irrelevant hullaballoo.
The hollow humor and digression kills the pace of the performance, leading to a three-hour production with unclear objectives.
“Si Ali is currently showing at El Salam Theater, 101 Kasr El Ainy St, at 10 pm. Tel: (02) 2795 2484
