Cairo theatre employs famous faces to aid with social distancing – in pictures

El Sawy Culture Wheel placed pictures of old Egyptian actors and singers on the chairs between attendees

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Visitors to Cairo’s El Sawy Culture Wheel found themselves in good company when they attended the centre’s first performance since the pandemic began.

To maintain social distancing protocols, the centre placed pictures of old Egyptian singers and actors on the chairs in between attendees, creating the impression they were sharing the theatre with stars of a bygone era, such as Soad Hosny and Omar Sharif.

epa08537757 A woman poses for a photo at a concert in the Puppet Theater at El-Sawy Culture Wheel, Cairo, Egypt, in 09 July 2020. Today, El-Sawy Culture Wheel resumed its cultural events with a puppet show and announced that the concert complies with the precautionary measures against the Coronavirus. Inside the concert hall, El-Sawy Culture wheel placed pictures of old Egyptian singers and actors on the chairs next to the attendees to maintain social distancing.  EPA/Mohamed Hossam
Inside El Sawy Culture Wheel placed pictures of old Egyptian singers and actors on the chairs next to the attendees to maintain social distancing. EPA/Mohamed Hossam

With the aim of preserving Egyptian and Arab identity, El Sawy Culture Wheel was established in 2003 as a full-scale cultural centre, providing spaces, stages and support for various art forms to thrive.

The centre reopened with the puppet show Oum Kolthoum Returns, organised by the Sakia Puppet Theatre, which included renditions of the late singer's popular hits Amal Hayaty and Enta Omry.