Sulayman Al-Bassam

Who is Sulayman Al-Bassam?

Sulayman Al-Bassam, is a Kuwaiti playwright and theatre director, and founder of Zaoum theatre company and its Arabic arm Sulayman Al-Bassam Theatre Kuwait.

From The Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK to Peter Brook's legendary theatre in Paris, from Japan to the USA, the work of Sulayman Al-Bassam Theatre has been celebrated across four continents by the world's most prestigious cultural powerhouses. Led by Kuwaiti writer & director Sulayman Al-Bassam and British producer Georgina Van Welie, working alongside artists from across the Arab World and Europe, the company is a celebration of cultural diversity in an age of extremes.

Its projects are characterised by a radical approach to text, bold production styles and an uncompromising engagement with issues concerning the contemporary Arab world. Over the last four years the company has created a string of internationally acclaimed productions including "The Al-Hamlet Summit", "Kalila wa Dimna, The Mirror For Princes", "Melting The Ice", "Trading", "Richard 3, an Arab Tragedy".

The work of Sulayman Al-Bassam Theatre challenges the negative preconceptions surrounding Arab and Muslim culture today, it champions the Arab voice internationally and creates an intercultural space for Arab culture on the world stage.