Drowning in Cairo by Adam Ashraf Elsayigh

It is May 2001 in Cairo. Moody, Khalid, and their servant Taha are on the Queen Boat, a gay nightclub docked on the Nile. When an unexpected police raid results in the arrest and public humiliation of the attendees, the lives of these young men are altered forever. Drowning in Cairo weaves budding romances, class differences, and familial expectations into a loving portrait of three men who all struggle to...
It is May 2001 in Cairo. Moody, Khalid, and their servant Taha are on the Queen Boat, a gay nightclub docked on the Nile. When an unexpected police raid results in the arrest and public humiliation of the attendees, the lives of these young men are altered forever. Drowning in Cairo weaves budding romances, class differences, and familial expectations into a loving portrait of three men who all struggle to rebuild their lives against all odds.
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Drowning in Cairo

Recommended by

  • National Queer Theater:
    28 Oct. 2018
    “ Drowning in Cairo is a brilliant new play from an up and coming Middle Eastern playwright that every theater in America should have their eyes on. It is rich in character development, historical, and timely- following the arrest of three gay men in Egypt in 2001. We produced a reading at National Queer Theater and it was a huge success with our diverse audience. ”

Moody: male-identifying, effeminate, short, lanky, know-it-all;
Khalid: male-identifying, buff;
Taha: male-identifying, reserved, questioning, ambitious.

All three character were born in 1983 in the same Zamalek street. The play is set between 1997 and 2015 so the characters are portrayed in different points in their lives between 14 and 32.

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    NYU Abu Dhabi’s Arts and Humanities Festival
    ,
    2018
  • Reading
    ,
    Golden Threads Productions' New Threads Festival
    ,
    2018
  • Workshop
    ,
    Independent Production in Cairo, Egypt
    ,
    2018
  • Workshop
    ,
    National Queer Theater
    ,
    2018
  • Workshop
    ,
    The Indian Ensemble Theater
    ,
    2017

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    National Queer Theater's Criminal Queerness Festival
    ,
    2019

Awards

Selection
,
Selected Play
,
Dublin Gay Theatre Festival
,
2019
Semi-Finalist
,
Semifinalist for National Playwright’s Conference
,
Eugene O’Neill Theater Center
,
2019