ABSTRACT
Interactive street/outdoor performance is not a new theatrical phenomenon; rather it is often regarded as the oldest existent theatrical form. Street performers have always been there as long as there have been streets. Hence, the streets of Egyptian towns and cities have often been filled with the sounds and colors of street performance – from the dynamic Islamic street celebrations known as 'moulids' to 'aragoz' puppet shows. This chapter seeks to examine the "unappreciated" form of alternative theatre in Egypt, to give an overview of its long history, the elements leading to its revival in the new millennium, its present potential for socio-political statements, as well as to spotlight some of the troupes performing it today. It refers to Bakhtin's landmark book, Rabelais and His World, and his analysis of the carnival, which believed that it was later echoed by contemporary theorists and artists in the field of street performance, such as Bim Mason and Augusto Boal.
