Libyans turn to black comedy to show their tragedy

For ten years, Libyans have been living in chaos, in which, as it turned out, there is a place for the theater. “Chocolate Egg,” which is currently playing in Libya’s western city of Misrata, is a dark comedy play that sheds light on young people being drawn into military formations.

Earlier, Vestnik Kavkaza spoke about the political background of the events in Libya.

Playwright Abdel Wahhab Haddad told Al-Monitor that the idea behind his play came from military parades that are frequently seen in Libya:

“I asked myself what happened behind the scenes to prepare for this military show? Who directed this parade? Who distributed the roles between the bit part players marching in formation like robots in front of the show’s main characters sitting on the podium with their medals and military uniforms? These parades seemed to me surreal, almost comical, despite the director’s attempts to make them look serious.”

The original name of the play was 'Behind the Scenes.' But the director chose to name it 'Chocolate Egg' because of its recurrence throughout the play. 'Chocolate Egg' is used in the play to show the deceitful and frivolous method used to attract young men to take part in a conflict. The director is using the chocolate egg and the toy found inside the egg to point at the naivety of the youth.

“We are not addressing the officials as we lost hope in them, but rather we are addressing the youth in an attempt to provoke them and have them look into a mirror to recognize the truth about their situation, and how they are being treated as gullible people who can be recruited and deceived through a toy found inside a chocolate egg. We sought to show the youth that they are puppets used in a wider show, who can be easily discarded and replaced once they are no longer fit for their role"

Haddad said.

Libya has witnessed in the past two years relative security stability, although some politicians continue to pay militias to protect them. Clashes last summer between militias close to Dbeibah and others allied with Libya’s Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha were a reminder that violence is not far off in Libya. 

Ali Obeid, another actor in the play, said he had many friends who embraced militia culture when they were teenagers, including some who dropped out of school to join the militias:

 “They recently started to feel ashamed of being fighters, because it has become taboo to have a fighter in the family. When they looked at others, they understood that they can succeed without having to be a fighter”

To comprehend any culture or people, it is often said that one needs to understand their theatrical arts. The most successful theatrical performances at international festivals are mostly the ones that simulate the street; performances become a theater of struggle given the courage to depict the reality without any restrictions. At the end, it is the playwright who writes about reality on paper for the director and an audience to watch their own lives on stage.

Director of "Chocolate Egg" said that as soon as an audition or workshop for a new play is announced, young people show up with enthusiasm that exceeds their enthusiasm for a new war project: "they give up their weapons and take to the stage". Anwar Altair is sure that reality is the main material used in theater and arts in general, and that most successful theatrical works are based on reality. In Libya, reality and theater are one, saying that they often hear the sound of bullets and artillery while performing at the theater.