Tradition and modernity are both on display in Qatar when it comes to performing arts. All options are on the table, from learning the ancient art of sword dancing to participating in a modern theatre production.
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:02 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
00:21 Being on stage is exhilarating.
00:22 You get to play a role that is not your day-to-day life.
00:27 So you get to be something else and try and portray it
00:30 the best way you can.
00:31 And it's just about put yourself outside your comfort zone,
00:34 really.
00:34 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:37 Hello, and welcome to Qatar 365 with me, Laila Humaira.
00:42 On this episode, we raise the curtain on the performing arts
00:46 scene in Qatar.
00:47 With a diverse population and a melting pot of cultures,
00:51 the growth in talent and theater has
00:53 been as dramatic as the country's economic development.
00:56 But first, Adel Halim takes a look
00:58 at Qatar's folk heritage through an annual festival.
01:02 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:05 These young boys are taking part in a traditional Qatari sword
01:08 dance, which dates back to when Bedouin tribes largely
01:11 populated the country.
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01:15 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
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01:35 For Saud Abdullah Al-Dusari, it's
01:37 essential to keep Qatari traditions alive.
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02:20 Attendees were also treated to a small-scale military parade,
02:24 which included a performance from the military band
02:26 and a demonstration of weapons skills.
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02:31 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
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02:52 The show highlighted Qatari culture and traditions,
02:54 both on land and sea, showcasing what
02:57 life was like in the desert before the discovery of oil
03:00 and gas.
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03:17 While the Darb al-Sayh festivities lead up
03:19 to Qatar's National Day, the event's special focus
03:22 on national heritage and identity
03:24 continues all year long.
03:26 Through a variety of cultural events,
03:28 citizens, residents, and visitors alike
03:30 can enjoy activities that go back generations.
03:33 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:36 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
03:41 Across the festival grounds, the Al-Khor Traditional Art Band
03:44 is trying to preserve another traditional Qatari art
03:47 form through music.
03:48 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:51 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
03:54,
04:23 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
04:27 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
04:51 Band leader Umm Mubarak al-Mohannadi
04:54 comes from a musical family and takes great pride
04:57 in keeping the memories of her childhood alive.
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05:19 [NON-ENGLISH SINGING]
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05:29 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
05:57 All the world's a stage, and all the men and women
05:59 merely players.
06:01 Shakespeare couldn't be truer describing the essence of life
06:04 and the joy of theater.
06:06 Here in Qatar, a community theater group
06:08 has been coming together to share their love
06:10 for drama for decades.
06:12 They call themselves the Doha Players.
06:15 And I got to go behind the scenes
06:17 for a look at how a fantasy tale comes to life.
06:20 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:23 [NON-ENGLISH SINGING]
06:29 Andrew Robinson is a teacher by day, but by night,
06:34 he's an actor in the Doha Players.
06:38 And for the theater group's musical production
06:40 of the children's fantasy book series, The Lightning Thief,
06:44 Andrew is playing Percy Jackson, the lead character.
06:48 It's a seashell.
06:51 Like I said--
06:53 Being on stage, it's exhilarating.
06:55 You get to play a role that is not your day-to-day life.
07:00 So you get to be something else and try and portray it
07:03 the best way you can.
07:04 And it's just about put yourself outside your comfort zone,
07:07 really.
07:08 That's also how he got into the world of theater
07:11 without any formal background in the field.
07:13 [MUSIC PLAYING]
07:21 But the Doha Players taught him all
07:23 he needed to know about the performing arts.
07:25 [NON-ENGLISH SINGING]
07:30 The community is very friendly, very welcoming.
07:33 You get to meet lots of different new people
07:35 with incredible talents.
07:36 And you just keep learning off each other, which is lovely.
07:39 But it's not just people on stage.
07:41 There's people backstage as well who help out a huge amount.
07:44 Established in 1954, the Doha Players
07:47 found its first home in a pretty unconventional space.
07:52 Doha Players was founded from a small group of people
07:55 at the time.
07:56 And one of their very first venues at that time
07:59 was to use a furniture shop in Sukhwakheef.
08:02 And there was a display area where furniture would
08:05 be laid out during the day.
08:07 And then in the evening for the shows,
08:08 that would be cleared off.
08:10 And that provided for a small stage.
08:12 Since then, it's put together more than 200 productions
08:16 from various authors and genres.
08:18 From the set design to the costumes,
08:23 it's all hands on deck for the staging of "The Lightning
08:26 Thief."
08:27 With opening night being days away,
08:29 all the finishing touches are being made.
08:32 And everyone at the Doha Players is
08:34 ready to electrify the audience.
08:36 [SCREAMING]
08:43 The explosion of talent, creativity, and diversity
08:47 has only grown over the years.
08:49 The entire theater group is made up
08:54 of volunteers that includes the technical team and all those
08:58 who work hard behind the scenes who believe
09:00 in putting passion over profit.
09:02 Doha Players is a community of its people.
09:12 And these shows are made by all of the individuals
09:14 that come and join us.
09:16 And there's a little bit of everybody in the show.
09:19 And we differ from commercial theater
09:24 because each show is everybody's passion project.
09:28 It just-- the heart and the soul that
09:31 goes into these productions is tremendous.
09:34 He's very sorry.
09:35 Tell the squirrel you're sorry, Percy.
09:39 I am sorry.
09:41 Those kids have issues, issues.
09:48 Daddy was in love with the big opinion.
09:51 Mommy can't protect me.
09:53 Daddy is a fool.
09:55 Maybe if I go and play pedicule for a few hours,
09:58 things might improve.
10:00 For me, not for you.
10:02 You'd be dead.
10:04 You know it's time for issues.
10:06 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:09 With every act, song, and dance, the cast and crew
10:30 hope that the hours of their hard work
10:32 not only shines through, but also touches the audience
10:36 and transports them into their own fantasy world.
10:41 And at every curtain call, the Doha players
10:44 bow out hoping to meet the audience again,
10:47 spreading their love for theater and the arts
10:50 for more years to come.
10:52 What they'll discover is the power
10:56 of watching a live performance, of being involved
11:00 in a live audience with a live cast,
11:03 and creating an experience that can't
11:05 be duplicated anywhere else.
11:07 To have emotion portrayed that makes you cry,
11:11 that makes you happy, that makes you joyous,
11:14 that makes you talk about it for half an hour all the way home,
11:17 makes you talk about it with your friends the next day.
11:19 To have those experiences is what happens here.
11:22 It's what happens in theaters everywhere.
11:24 And it's what we make happen here in Doha.
11:27 And I think that's very special.
11:28 [MUSIC PLAYING]
11:31 From Qatar's traditional performances
11:41 to modern musical adaptations of fantasy tales,
11:44 we hope you've enjoyed this episode.
11:46 But that's all the time we have for now.
11:48 For more, check out euronews.com and connect with us
11:51 through our hashtag.
11:52 Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next time on Qatar 365.
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