Alif

Alif is the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. It is also a way to introduce the first word of a poetic and musical epic: the story of a young boy from the Maghreb who grew up speaking two languages. His unique story invites the audience each evening to engage in a dialogue that explores a pressing question: Who has the right to speak?

Alif was born into a family of immigrants and is still searching for his place: between here and elsewhere, between French and Arabic... To forge a path between these realms, Abdelwaheb Sefsaf harnesses the power of musical theater and poetry in the service of political reflection. Accompanied by music and song, the child navigates school, the Republic, and colonial history. In a theater that becomes at times an agora, at times a classroom, he invites the audience to respond to him... But how? And in what common language? “Theater is not a place of performance, but a place of revelation,” writes Sefsaf. “What is being played out is not fiction: it is a tangible experience of democracy.”