The Orchard of al-Bayyaha: A New Work by Sudanese Writer Awad Al-Zein

Sudanhorizon – Mohamed Mustafa Al-Ma’moun
Sudanese writer Dr. Awad Al-Karim Al-Zein—a professor at the College of Music and Drama at Sudan University of Science and Technology—has published his new book, titled “Bustan al-Bayyaha(The Orchard of al-Bayyaha) ”
The book offers a dramaturgical reading of the text “Hisan al-Bayyaha” (The Horse of al-Bayyaha) by Dr. Yusuf Aidabi, followed by five plays inspired by the world and the thematic inquiries presented in that original work.
Speaking to Sudanhorizon, the author explained that he chose the title “Bustan al-Bayyaha” (The Orchard of al-Bayyaha) to encompass both parts of the book. While the subsequent texts vary in their degree of proximity to the source material, they are presented here as independent works that draw upon the themes, theatrical spectacle, and dramaturgical symbols of the original. They are not intended as literal transcriptions of dialogue or scenic structure, but rather as a methodological progression from the source text to new theatrical writing.
He added: “This book is neither a mere collection of adjacent texts brought together by coincidence, nor is it a critical study supplemented by plays as practical applications.” Rather, it takes shape through an ongoing dialogue between a dramaturgical reading of the text *The Bayyaha Horse* (*Hisan al-Bayyaha*) by Yousif Aydabi and five new theatrical texts that draw inspiration from its aesthetic and intellectual inquiries.
The book’s unity stems from this dialogue: the reference text is not treated here as a closed entity or a rigid model to be replicated, but rather as a space that generates imagination—opening up diverse possibilities for reflecting on heritage, memory, power, religion, women, freedom, and the audience.
Dr. Al-Zein notes that the first section begins by drawing upon foundational insights regarding Dr. Yousif Aydabi—the author of the play—serving as a logical, necessary point of entry. This approach explores the author’s intellectual milieu and the defining characteristics of his creative persona, helping to shape the reader’s mental image by connecting the creator to his creative output and the intellectual spheres he explores

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