"Al Hilali Al Saghir" wins 2nd place at Arab Theatre Festival

January 16, 2026 / 9:42 PM

Sharjah 24: Mohamed Surour, the playwright, was thrilled that his play "Al Hilali Al Saghir" came in second in the children's playwriting competition held by the Arab Theatre Institute as part of the 16th Arab Theatre Festival in Cairo.

Surour said that the play takes old stories and tells them in a new and captivating way. The story is about a young child named Zaid who wants to change the ending of the story of Al Hilali. He uses technology to reveal his plan against the heroes, Dhiab bin Ghanem and Abu Zaid Al Hilali, which alters the original story's ending and the characters' struggle for dominance.

Surour told "Sharjah 24" that the goal of the Arab Theatre Institute is to teach Arab children. He went on to say that its contests promote themes that are both fun and instructive, which helps young people engage with theatre while learning about their culture.

Surour also talked about how challenging it is to write for kids. Scripts need a distinct style, language that is basic but rich, and ways to keep people's attention. He said that techniques like "play within a play" or getting the kids in the audience involved might keep them interested and make the show more interactive.