A historical love story passed down from generation to generation took the stage at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.
«Jamil and Buthayna,» set in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, is a theatrical musical production telling the legendary story of the poet Jamil bin Ma'mar, who fell madly in love with Buthayna bint Hayyan.
As one of many events organized by the Ministry of Culture, «Jamil and Buthayna» left audiences speechless with its costumes and choreographic performances born in the deserts of AlUla.
Two Riyadh residents, Arij Ahmed and Alanoud Bandar, came to watch the musical at its premiere. The two friends shared their excitement with Arab News.
«I honestly really enjoyed the show; there wasn't a single moment when I felt bored or distracted. Every scene was very captivating, and I advise people to come and watch,» Ahmed said.
«Honestly, I liked it, but it has vocabulary and music in which the Jordanian dialect prevails rather than the Saudi dialect,» Bandar said in an interview with Arab News.
The show originally premiered in AlUla in February 2020 at the Maraya Concert Hall as part of the «Winter at Tantora» festival.
Fatima Hassan, a native of the Eastern Province, traveled from Alkhobar solely to watch the musical at its Riyadh premiere.
«Honestly, the trip was exhausting, and I left my husband and children to attend the show,» she said. «The first show was in AlUla, and it was too far to travel, so I couldn't attend.».
She told Arab News that she was thrilled when she learned the musical would come to Riyadh.
«I fell in love with the love (story) set in the Arabian Peninsula in AlUla, between Jamil and Buthayna, and I loved the performance of actress Amel Bouchoucha, who is behind the show,» she said.
The troupe of the Lebanese Caracalla Dance Theatre brought the love story to life, with the lead performers — Algerian actress Bouchoucha and Syrian actor Samer Ismail — playing Jamil and Buthayna.
The premiere, which employed poetry, musical composition, video projection, traditional costumes, singing and choreography, ended with thunderous applause from the audience.
The show will run until June 14 in the Blue Hall of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, with ticket prices ranging from 75 to 350 Saudi riyals.