Sultan’s play to be staged in Moscow on September 5

The Gorky Moscow Art Theatre will stage Nimrod, a theatrical work written by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, on September 5, 2019. The play, based on the life of one of the most tyrannical kings in history, Nimrod Bin Kan’aan, ruler of Babylon and king of the Assyria Empire, is a social commentary highlighting the duty of a nation’s leadership to build equal societies on the foundations of peace and justice.

Directed by Tunisian director and sonographer Moncef Souissi and produced by Sharjah National Theatre (SNT), an affiliate of the Sharjah Department of Culture (SDC), the play narrates how King Nimrod continues to shed the blood of Babylon’s innocent people and strip them of their rights, until a mosquito enters accidentally his brain and drives him out of his mind, threatening both his kingdom and life. The monarch then asks his people to hit his head with their shoes to drive the mosquito out of his brain, which ultimately leads to his death by the very hands of those he wronged and prosecuted.

A stellar group of Emirati and Arab actors including Ahmed Al Jasmi (Nimrod), Mohammed Juma (King Zahhak’s informant), Abdullah Masoud (Nimrod’s army leader), Ahmed Abdelrazaq (Nimrod’s minister), Abdullah Bin Haider (Cabbi the blacksmith), Mohammed Youssef (King Shaleh, and Nimrod’s treasurer) form the play’s cast. Mohammed Al Ameri is supervising the production. The music composition and sound effects are by Ibrahim Al Amiri.

The event is part of Sharjah’s five-day cultural programme as Guest City at the Moscow International Book Fair (MIBF 2019), which runs from September 4 – 8, 2019. This is the first time an Arab city has been hosted as a special guest at MIBF. The emirate will be showcasing its cultural achievements in the past four decades, aligning with the vision of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

Sharjah’s participation in the event, under the supervision of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), aims to enhance Russian and eastern European intellectuals’ and the general public’s knowledge of the Arabic language, culture and heritage. The emirate will be conducting a series of discussion panels and cultural sessions that showcase the aesthetics of Arabic prose and poetry and highlights the role of heritage in forming the collective identity of the Emirati people.

An earlier report said Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Government Relations, DGR, who will be leading a Sharjah delegation to Moscow, noted that the invitation from Moscow to be a “Guest City” is yet another accomplishment for the emirate. “This once again reflects the global perception of the emirate as a regional leader in the fields of literature and culture, and depicts the eagerness of cities worldwide to learn about Emirati and Arab cultures from Sharjah,” he said.

“Fostering close relations with cities is a must, and strong cultural exchange facilitates the promotion of bilateral relations in other sectors. Therefore, Sharjah’s four-decade cultural project is a significant development component – an enhancer in our relations with Moscow and other cities around the world. We look forward to bringing Sharjah’s cultural project to Russia and learn from their cultural expertise too. The fair will be a great platform to explore Moscow’s more recent achievements, their history and sustainable practices, and reinforce the partnership between Sharjah and Moscow,” he added.

Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of Sharjah Book Authority, SBA, noted that Sharjah’s “Guest City” nomination at one of the world’s leading cultural events reaffirms the emirate’s status as a cultural hub, both at regional and international levels.

“The Emirate of Sharjah was able to establish itself as a cultural destination four decades ago, through an inclusive cultural project that was launched by H.H. Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The emirate has been nurturing authors, intellectuals and artists throughout its long history.”