Myth meets magic in ‘Hercules’

The cast includes Haifa Adel, Faisal Al-Omairi, Mohammad Al-Kazemi, Lulwa Al-Mulla, Alaa Al-Hindi, Ali Al-Muhaini, Alaa Maryam Shuaib, Bader Al-Bakr and the dance troupes. In an interview with the newspaper, Faisal Al-Omairi, the star of the play, confirmed that the audience is in for a new and worthwhile experience in terms of concept, execution and the young cast, led by esteemed actress Haifa Adel in the lead role. Al-Omairi said “without a doubt, there is no similarity with the previous play, “Zarqoun and the Magic Lamp.”

Perhaps, the common factor is that both are inspired by myths and fairy tales, but in terms of the details of the work, there is no comparison, whether the idea or the directorial vision of Najaf Jamal. During rehearsals, he focused on deep aspects of the text, which naturally deals with the eternal struggle between the forces of good and evil, but from a purely human perspective that suits the mentality of today’s children. The audience in general, and the viewer in particular, will experience a dazzling and worthwhile work of artistic and human value.”

He explained that “the plot revolves around the birth of Hercules, who, according to the myth, is half-human and half-god. He has superhuman powers and great abilities. He confronts Hades, the king of the underworld, who also possesses powers that he uses to achieve his diabolical goals. The conflict between them intensifies until the events have their final say at the end of the play”. He revealed that he portrays the character of Hades, who is determined to do everything in his power to expose his diabolical intentions.

“Hades resorts to malicious plots and devilish tricks to win his battle against Hercules,” he added. He emphasized that the play is not just a performance for children to enjoy, as it is a journey where the child finds himself a partner in the events, interacting with them and interpreting them according to his unique intellect. “The child of today has a sharp, active and enthusiastic mind, with diverse abilities to experience the story, explain and analyze it as he sees fit,” he asserted.

It is worth mentioning that the latest work of Al-Omairi is the series “Maze,” written by Ali Shams and directed by Mohammed Daham. He co-starred with Fawz Al-Shatti, Reem Rahma, Abdullah Al-Turkmani, Hussein Al-Haddad, Ali Al-Muhaini, Nour Mohammed, Rahaf Al-Enezi and others. He played the character of Officer Ahmed, who was tasked to solve a murder mystery weeks before his retirement. He succeeded despite the hindrances in his quest to uncover the truth.