Social Issues in the Kuwaiti Play ‘The Bird Has Flown’: Hybridity, Gender, and Belonging
Many theatre scholars have focused on Arab dramatists and yet theatre in Kuwait has not received enough scholarly attention. One Kuwaiti dramatist (writing during the twentieth century) has paved the way in presenting issues of identity, hybridity, and belonging. 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Surayyi’s influential play Da' al-Dik(1971) was translated into English (The Bird Has Flown). This article offers a close reading of the English translation and interrogates issues of identity, family, and belonging in Kuwaiti society during the twentieth century. The play’s hero, Yousef, is the son of a Kuwaiti father and Indian mother. Arriving to Kuwait, he tries to assimilate but ultimately fails, leaving behind a tragedy. The article traces Yousef’s coming-of-age narrative and analyses the play’s showcasing of social issues.
KEYWORDS: Kuwait, identity, hybridity, theatre.