RIYADH, March 31, 2025: As Saudi Arabia celebrates the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, the Kingdom is buzzing with excitement, and one timeless form of storytelling is taking center stage — theater.
During Eid, Saudi theaters become a space for celebration, connection, and cultural expression, as families flock to performances that turn shared laughter into a celebration of identity.
Raghad Abdulrahman, a Saudi playwright, poet, and member of Kaif Theater, believes theater offers a platform to showcase Saudi heritage, values, and stories, something she views as both urgent and long overdue.
“We have a rich cultural history that deserves to be brought to life on stage,” she said. “Theater is a medium of communication between people and cultures, and our culture has so much to share.”
Theater has long been a staple of Eid celebrations in the Gulf, with comedies, dramas, and musicals reflecting the season’s mood. While theater is a year-round cultural fixture, it becomes especially vibrant during Eid.
“This connection runs deep in our Gulf heritage,” Abdulrahman noted. “It’s how we’ve always translated joy onto the stage.”
Two major performances are scheduled for Riyadh this year: “Al-Shanta” by Nasser Al-Qasabi and “Maskoon Layla” by Hassan Al-Balam, both on the third day of Eid. Kaif Theater has also achieved success with its own Eid productions like “Haya Khallik” and “Majlis Al-Shoqaq,” which attracted enthusiastic audiences.
Abdulrahman compares theater to a family member who’s always traveling but returns during Eid, bringing joy and gifts. “It opens its doors wide, welcoming guests with open arms and sharing happiness,” she said.
She vividly describes the experience of live theater: the presence of an audience, spontaneous laughter, thunderous applause, and the joy of watching art unfold before your eyes, without the filter of a screen.
“You feel the laughter around you. You see the joy of Eid in children’s sweets, new clothes, and the elegance of adults,” Abdulrahman explained. “The stage becomes a living celebration.”
Unlike commercial productions that rely on big budgets and special effects, Kaif Theater trusts in raw human energy. “A single performer, if sincere and committed, can hold the attention of an entire room,” Abdulrahman shared.
Kaif Theater also invests in nurturing local talent, offering programs like Shaghaf, which provides intensive stagecraft training recognized by the Saudi Society for Culture and Arts.
“Our workshops cover writing, acting, puppet theater, and production,” she said, all led by seasoned professionals.
The magic of theater starts with the script, according to Abdulrahman. “It begins with the central idea or message, and then the plot builds from beginning to climax to resolution.”
Characters, shaped by conflicts, bring the dialogue to life. “In theater, dialogue drives the story,” she added. “It’s what makes a play feel alive.”
However, the transition from script to stage can be challenging. “Not every idea that works on paper succeeds on stage,” Abdulrahman admitted. “Some scenes need adjustments, and some need visual reinforcement.”
Balancing dialogue and movement is also crucial. “If a play relies too much on dialogue, it risks becoming dull,” she explained. “If it focuses too much on movement, it loses its narrative voice. The rhythm must be alive.”
In today’s commercial entertainment world, Kaif Theater adheres to a different philosophy. “Creativity is the key to success,” Abdulrahman said. “When the script is strong, the performance sincere, and the experience meaningful, audiences will return — and they’ll bring others.”
For her, offering something worth experiencing again is key. “When the audience trusts what you create, they’ll invest in it. Commercial success is just the outcome of doing theater the right way.”
As Saudi Arabia continues its cultural transformation, initiatives like Kaif Theater highlight the growing importance of live performances in Saudi life.
In Abdulrahman’s words: “Theater shares your sorrow, so it lessens — and shares your joy, so it grows.”