Omani
Play “On the Edge of Forgetting”: A Theatrical Meditation on
Generational Conflict, Memory of the Stage

Amman,
14 Sep 2026 (ONA) — The Omani theatrical production “On the Edge of
Forgetting,” directed by Sami Al Busaidi, offered an artistic vision that
conjures the questions of man, memory and forgetting, and the succession of
generations. It was held as part of the 24th edition of the Zarqa Arab Theatre
Summer Festival in Jordan.

The
play explores the theatre’s relationship with its successive generations
through a heated conflict between an old generation and a new one, placing the
spectator from the very first moments before a fundamental question concerning
the continuity of the theatrical experience and how it is transmitted from one
generation to another.

The
performance, with Rawan Al Ghilani, Madim Al Gharbi and Khattab Al Shamakhi in
the roles, also tackled the dramatic conflict between the characters, with a
focus on the actor’s performance and body language as two essential elements in
constructing the dramatic event and embodying the work’s central idea.

The
director employed the theatrical space as an expressive element parallel to the
text, as the stage was transformed into a space that evokes the workings of
time and a memory threatened with erasure, while the movement of the actors and
their swapping of positions and roles contributed to expressing the idea of
replacement and the succession of generations.

The
set was economical in its elements, leaving a wider space for the movement of
the actors and the creation of meanings on the stage, while lighting played a
prominent role in shaping the production’s visual imagery through the contrast
between light and darkness, reflecting the duality of presence and absence
bound to the idea of forgetting.

Lighting
was also used to isolate the characters and highlight the moments of
confrontation between them, so that the areas of light and darkness became part
of the dramatic and semantic structure of the work, integrating with the
movement of the actors, the space and the set.

Six
performances from six Arab countries are taking part in the current edition of
the festival: “On the Edge of Forgetting” from the Sultanate of Oman,
“Jaras” from Tunisia, “Children of the Earth” from Iraq,
“Until Hope Departs” from Saudi Arabia, “Goods” from
Palestine, and “Mirage” from Jordan.

—
Ends/Khalid