ABSTRACT
The theatre scene in Cairo is dominated by two theatrical forces: the public and the private sectors, with a third, the “free” theatre, struggling to secure an audience. The public or governmental supported theatre is the affordable production core for the Egyptian population with ticket prices ranging from 5 to 20 LE. The private theatre is the commercial venue geared for the traditional Gulf tourist with ticket prices ranging from 30 to 100 LE. Plays performed in the sector range from Western musical imports to Egyptian farces. Positive sign indicating a future of health for the Egyptian theatre is the success of Lenin el Ramly’s In Plain Arabic, a production which has proven that a play can reach a wide and enthusiastic audience without a star on the marquee. The fact that the event is product of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture indicates that the government is capable of providing assistance to the arts in a serious and important manner.
