Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s Arts Center will host the “al-Leila al-Kebira” puppet show on August 18 at its open air theater, directed by Mohammed Abu al-Khair and featuring a performance by the Fabrica band.
Created in the 1960s by late puppeteer Nagy Shaker and set to poetry by Salah Jahin and music by Sayed Mekkawi, al-Leila al-Kebira is the Arab world’s most iconic puppet show.
The fantastical story follows the night of moulid, a festival celebrating the Prophet Mohamed’s birthday. The show features a cast of colorful, comedic characters, with clowns and even a lion tamer making appearances.
The musical was an instant success in 1960, its lovable characters having resonated with children and adults alike.
Founded in 2011, Fabrica contains a 
number of opera singers and performers who previously presented Mozart’s The Magic Flute Opera and the Les Miserables Play in Egyptian colloquial, alongside rearranging the works of great Arab musicians.
number of opera singers and performers who previously presented Mozart’s The Magic Flute Opera and the Les Miserables Play in Egyptian colloquial, alongside rearranging the works of great Arab musicians.
