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You Bury Me

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  3w, 3m, 1any gender (adult)

Winner of The Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2020, You Bury Me is an explosive political debut from Ahlam about a generation emerging from a national trauma, determined to live and love freely.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 3m, 1any gender (adult)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 2020 The Women's Prize for Playwriting

Details

Summary

This story is about a city. A city of exhaust fumes, drunken phone calls, first kisses, hysteria, sweat and laughter. Cairo.

Coming of age in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, six young Egyptians navigate friendship, loss and secret Grindr dates in the city that made them.

Winner of The Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2020, You Bury Me is an explosive political debut from Ahlam about a generation emerging from a national trauma, determined to live and love freely.

Programme text in conjunction with production at Bristol Old Vic on 24th February.

History
You Bury Me was first performed on 24 February 2023 at Bristol Old Vic.

ALIA — An Egyptian. 22 years old. She has just graduated with an Engineering degree from Cairo University. She comes from a conservative Muslim family. Her paternal lineage have all served or are serving in the police. She’s in love with Tamer.

TAMER — An Egyptian. 22 years old. He has also graduated with an Engineering degree from Cairo University. He comes from a traditional Christian family. Christians in Egypt are primarily Copts (Egyptian Orthodox Christians). He’s in love with Alia.

LINA — An Egyptian. 17 years old. She’s in high school. She comes from a traditional Christian family. She’s still in the process of discovering her sexuality and gender.

MAYA — An Egyptian. 18 years old. She’s in the same high school as Lina. She comes from a left-leaning family, so her family aren’t religious. They might be more agnostic or atheist but they don’t label themselves as such, you could say they’re culturally Muslim. Her parents are divorced and Osman is her half brother (same father).

OSMAN — An Egyptian. 25 years old. He’s a journalist and blogger. He was very active during the Egyptian uprising and wrote extensively about it. He’s in love with Zeina, a staunch political activist.

RAFIK — An Egyptian. 25 years old. He graduated with a degree in English literature from Cairo University. After graduating, he didn’t know what he wanted to do and decided to just smoke his problems away.

THE CITY — The city narrates, explains, confuses, comforts, challenges, shares its stories. The city should be played by all of the actors in the play.

  • Setting Cairo

Media

“A vital piece of 21st century theatre.” — The Scotsman

“Exhilarating, vibrant and life-affirming...the city comes alive on stage.” — Bristol 24/7

“Ahlam’s You Bury Me, through a love letter of revolution and Cairo, speaks to the entire world.” — The Reviews Hub

“Sparky and charming... It’s a call to arms that adamantly insists on hope.” — The Stage

“Hopes and dreams from the Arab Spring.” — The Times

“Very funny, vibrant and passionate.” — Stage Talk

Licensing & Materials

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Scripts

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Authors

Ahlam

Ahlam moved around a lot as a child. She has lived in Germany, Singapore, Kenya, Venezuela, Turkey and the UK. She initially studied theatre in Egypt, where she created work combining elements of classical Greek Theatre and surrealism with contemporary dance, based on her ...
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