Social Media, Censorship and Counter-Censorship of Female Performances in Morocco and Egypt

Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues has been adapted into many theatrical versions in different languages all over the world. Some versions, in one way or another, have been censored especially in North African countries. This chapter examines two female versions of The Vagina Monologues in Morocco and Egypt. Empowered by the Arab Spring, Naima Zitan, Morocco and Sondos Shabayek, Egypt threw a stone into the brackish water of the Arabic theatre by introducing a daring version of Ensler's The Vagina Monologues. Zitan's Dialy and Shabayek's Bussy Monologues have been met with a cold reception and severe criticism from the public. Such performances are censored because they are considered raunchy in Muslim Arab societies like Morocco and Egypt. Since the stolen fruit is sweetest, these performances gain more popularity after being censored, thanks to social media. What censors do not realise is that strict censorship creates new artistic innovations. The two authors depend heavily on YouTube channels for sharing and defending their performances. Drawing on such a background, this chapter questions censorship and counter-censorship in Morocco and Egypt to argue that female theatre performances can meet the standards of censorship. Methodologically, this paper has adopted an analytical qualitative approach where YouTube videos, interviews, published materials and media publications are used to enhance the argument of the paper.