“Raya and Sakina” by Forsan Al-Sharq Heritage Company at Gomhouria Theater

22 April 2024

Within the Ministry of Culture’s strategy to promote all forms of creativity and innovation, the Cairo Opera House, under the supervision of Lamiaa Zayed, presents “Raya and Sakina” prformance by Forsan Al-Sharq Heritage Company at Gomhouria Theatre on 25, 26, 27 April 2024 at 8 p.m. The production is choreographed and directed by Karima Bedair; story by Mohamed Fouad; and music by Mohamed Moustafa.
The performance is based on the story of Raya and Sakina: Egypt’s most infamous female serial killers. Raya and Sakina were siblings; both were the first women to receive the death penalty under the modern Egyptian judicial system. The story begins with a series of homicides that caused communal panic the Labban neighborhood of Alexandria in the early 20th century under British colonial rule. A total of 17 bodies of women and men buried underneath Raya and Sakina’s house were found. The two sisters and a group of accomplices which included their spouses and two other men were convicted and sentenced to death on 16 May 1921.
Yasmin Samir Badawi and Noran Mohamed alternate in the role of Raya; Donia Mohamed and Norhan Gamal alternate in the role of Sakina; Fatma El Shabrawi plays the role of Bade’a, while Hany Hassan and Mohamed Helal alternate in the role of the Grave Exhumer. Additionally, Awlad El Nil Heritage Group participates in the Zār scene.
Forsan Al-Sharq Heritage Company was established in 2009 by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture to rediscover and embody Egyptian and Arab heritage through the art of modern dance. Performances creatively reinterpret this rich legacy through innovative choreographies set in a historical and dramatic context.
In 2010, the Company was affiliated to the Cairo Opera House and made its debut with “The Greatest Street” Performance. Since then, performances of the Company have garnered favorable acclaim and success among the Egyptian audience. Currently, Essam Azzat is artistic director of Forsan Al-Sharq Heritage Company.