Egyptian dramatist Faisal Nada dies aged 81

'Nada portrayed Egyptian society with a specific style,' said Egypt’s Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem

Egyptian dramatist Faisal Nada, whose body of work included films, plays and series, died on Tuesday

Celebrated Egyptian dramatist Faisal Nada, whose body of work included films, plays and television series, died on Tuesday aged 81.

His death was announced by Egypt’s Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem, who described Nada’s work as “an important part of cinema, theatre and TV in Egypt and the Arab nation".

“Nada portrayed Egyptian society with a specific style,” she said.

A minute-long silence was held in tribute to Nada on Tuesday, reported Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram, ahead of plays being staged at state theatres the same day.

Born in 1940 in Cairo’s Abdeen district, Nada studied at the Faculty of Commerce at Cairo University. He was an active part of the university’s theatre group. After graduating, he began working at the Ministry of Finance, but soon found that he’d rather build a career as a dramatist.

He began writing in the late 1960s and within a decade had established himself as one of Egypt’s most promising scriptwriters, working in cinema, TV and radio.

Nada found commercial success with the 1978 comedy play Al Motazawegoon. The cast included Egyptian luminaries Samir Ghanem, Sherin and George Sedhom. The play, which tackles themes of class divide and matrimonial issues, was a hit with critics and audiences. It was praised for revitalising Egyptian theatre at a time of decline.

Nada also wrote the scripts for several acclaimed films, including the 1970 action thriller El Achrar, the 1984 comedy drama Ya Rab Walad, and the 1986 romcom Hob Fawq El-Sahab.

Nada’s scripts, despite being varied in genre and style, were admired for their ability to capture the subtleties of Egyptian society. He remained an active contributor to Egyptian culture until his later years. His last works include the 2011 series Azwaj fi Warta and the 2018 radio play Hareb min Ish Al Zawjiya.