Theatre play, Comédie-Française, Paris 2013
To restore his authority and that of religion, the Mufti of Damascus sets a trap for the provost of the merchants, Abdallah, catching him in the act with Warda, a courtesan. Then, to confuse the police chief who made the arrest, he asks Mou’mina, the provost’s wife to secretly replace the imprisoned courtesan. The price Mou’mina asks in exchange for this humiliation will turn the social balance of the city upside-down: she is finally free of the burden of her marriage by choosing the life of a courtesan. With her body, using no means other than her beauty, her charm and her intelligence, Mou’mina, who has now become Almâssa (the diamond), will challenge and overcome the hypocrisy of the mechanisms of domination maintained by men, forcing them to face their deepest contradictions. In the end she pays a heavy price for the chaos she unleashes.
Written by Saadallah Wannous
Directed by Sulayman Al-Bassam
With Thierry Hancisse, Sylvia Bergé, Denis Podalydès, Julie Sicard, Laurent Natrella, Hervé Pierre, Bakary Sangaré, Nazim Boudjenah, Elliot Jenicot, Marion Malenfant, Louis Arène.
Set design & videos : Sam Collins
Light design: Marcus Doshi
Music: Yasmine Hamdan
Choreography: I COULD NEVER BE A DANCER
Costumes: Virginie Gervaise
Hair & Make-up: Cécile Kretschmar
Production Comédie-Française in association with Théâtre du Gymnase, Marseille & Marseille Capitale Européenne de la Culture 2013.