ZIGZIG
A Documentary theater
performance by Laila Soliman
2016 - As a researcher and assistant director; I was part of Zig Zig which is a theatre performance that takes as a starting point the transcripts of the Nazlat al-Shobak investigation. In the absence of Egyptian sources documenting the incident, it was in the British Foreign Office archives that these and other materials relating to the revolution of 1919 were found.
The performance brings this historical moment to life, re-examining the rape testimonies of the inspiring and courageous Egyptian women who braved humiliation in the courts of the military occupier, to tell the truth about the atrocities committed by its soldiers.
Five performers draw links on stage between this historical material, their personal experiences, and today’s rape culture, wondering why women’s narratives of rape are so often silenced, disbelieved, and belittled, and asking: how much has changed?