Tayeb Saddiki

Tayeb Saddiki (5 January 1939 – 5 February 2016) was a Moroccan theatre director and one of the most iconic and prominent Arab artists, and is considered among the foremost Arab dramatists of the twentieth century. Trained in classical Western theater, Saddiki also embraced traditional Moroccan theatrical styles, fusing the two into a path-breaking combination of Western and traditional Moroccan theater. Known for staging spectacles played to large crowds in big arenas, Saddiki developed a style of festive theater that became a popular in the Arab world.
He is a pioneer of Arab theater and an actor and a film director, but also an award-winning author writing in both Arabic and French. From a family of scholars, he was born in Essaouira and grew up in Casablanca. After training courses with André Voisin, at the age of 17 he went abroad to France to study theater at Comédie de l'Ouest - CDO, directed by Hubert Gignoux. Back in Morocco, together with the Union Marocaine du Travail (UMT) he founded a Workers' theater / Al Masrah Al Oummali (1957). After that, he returned to France to further study theater tecnics at the TNP -the National Popular Theater in Paris-, under the direction of Jean Vilar.
At 23, he became artistic director of the Mohamed V theater (théâtre national Mohammed-V). After that he worked as director of the municipal theater of Casablanca (théâtre municipal de Casablanca) from 1964 to 1977.
He founded several theatre companies, Firqat Saddiki / Saddiki's troupe, Al Masrah Al Jawal / Traveling theater, Masrah Ennas / People's Theater and also his own cultural center at Casablanca, Espace Tayeb Saddiki (Tayeb Saddiki's center) at the boulevard Gandhi in Casablanca.
(Source : Tayeb Saddiki Foundation)
Biography
1953 - Stage of Dramatic Art at Maâmora (Morocco), Interpretation Award / Direction André Voisin and Charles Nugue
1954 - First contract with Moroccan theater troupe / la troupe du théâtre marocain, the first professional troupe in Morocco
1956 - Workshop at Centre Dramatique de l’Ouest – C.D.O, Rennes - Direction Hubert Gignoux
1957 - Works at the National Popular Theater (Théâtre National Populaire) - T.N.P in Paris, Direction Jean Vilar
1957-1958 - Founder of the Workers' theater (Al Masrah Al Oummali), Morocco
1959 - Training course at the Center Dramatique de l'Est - D.E, Direction Hubert Gignoux
1960 - Study Tour Berliner Ensemble - Germany, Direction Hélène Weigel - Bertolt Brecht's theatre company
1960 - Founder of The troupe of the Municipal Theater / (La troupe du Théâtre Municipal), Casablanca, Morocco
1963 - Founder of Firqat Saddiki / Saddiki's troupe, Morocco
1964 - Artistic director of the Mohamed V theater (théâtre national Mohammed-V), Rabat
1967-1969 - Member of the executive committee of Institut International du Théâtre, I.T.I – UNESCO
1964-1977 - Director of the municipal theater of Casablanca (théâtre municipal de Casablanca), Casablanca, Morocco
1970-1977 - Founder of Café-théâtre, Théâtre Municipal de Casablanca, Casablanca, Morocco
1970 - Founder of Masrah Ennas / People's Theater, Casablanca, Morocco
1974 - Founder of Al Masrah Al Jawal / Traveling theater, Casablanca, Morocco
1980 - Founder of Essaouira Festival Music first / la musique d'abord
1980 - 1982 - Responsible at the Ministry of Tourism, Casablanca, Morocco
1984-1986 - Television is moving (Attalfaza Tataharrak), S.N.R.T, program to revamp Moroccan television programs, Morocco
1997 - Founder of the Espace Tayeb Saddiki (Mogador Theater), Casablanca, Morocco
Distinctions
Works
Theater director: more than eighty works
Repertory: has written thirty two plays (in Arabic and French), translation and adaptation of thirty-four dramatic works, eighteen co-written works
Actor: in about fifty plays, a dozen movies and thirty five dramatic works and television shows
Painter Calligrapher: Exhibitions in Morocco and Tunisia, Kuwait, Qatar, Sultanate of Oman, France, Canada, Belgium, Algeria ...
Cinema: directed four short films and a movie (Zeft - 1984), wrote and directed a dozen documentaries and played in a dozen films
Television: produced and directed for television thirty shows
Television is moving (Attalfaza Tataharrak)": program to redesign programs of the Moroccan television SNRT (1984-1986)
Other:
Participated to the researches and writing of the book: Morocco and Traditional Islamic Crafts in Architecture (Le Maroc et l'Artisanat Traditionnel Islamique dans l'Architecture / Le Paccard) - 2 volumes, Author : André Paccard, Edition: Workshop 74, 1986
Prefacier of the book: Mogador, my love (Mogador, mon amour), Author: Marcel Crespil, Illustrator: William Olegini, Edition: Casablanca: EDDIF, 1990
Illustrator of the book: Freshness of Islam (Fraîcheur de l'Islam), Author: Gabriel Bounoure (1886-1969), Edition: Saint-Clément-la-Rivière: , 1995 ''
Contributed to the writing of the book Moroccan Civilization, Arts and Cultures (Civilisation Marocaine, Arts et Cultures), under the direction of Mohamed Sijelmassi, editions OUM and Actes Sud / Sindbad, 1996
Cinema actor
1955 : Le Poulet (The Chicken), Jean Fléchet
1956 : Le médecin malgré lui (Toubib Al Affia), Directed by Henry Jacques, adapted from Molière, presented at Cannes festival in 1956 (official selection)
1957 : Brahim ou le collier de beignets (Brahim or the necklace of donuts), by Jean Fléchet, Presented at the Berlin Festival (1957)
1959: Loqmat Aïch (for a bite of bread), by Larbi Bennani
1960: Les fourberies Scapin, (Scapin the Schemer), Cinema adaptation of Molière's play (in Arabic), directed by Jean Mousselle and adapted by Mahieddine Bachtarzi Algeria, production Fred Orain : Castella Films & Armor Films
1962: Tartarin De Tarascon, Francis Blanche
1962: The children of the sun (Les enfants du soleil), Jacques Severac Cannes Film Festival of 1962 (official selection)
1962: Lawrence of Arabia, David Lean
1976: Arrissala (The Message), Mostapha Akkad
1977: Zenobia Queen of Palmyrene, Serie TV with Nidal Al Achkar
1984: Zeft (Ashphalte), by Tayeb Saddiki
1986: The child of the sand (L’enfant du sable), Hamid Bénani
1995: The Prayer of the Absentee (La prière de l’absent), Hamid Bénani
2001: Assir Al Matrouz (the man who embroidered secrets), Omar Chraïbi
2008: Voyage court mais trash (Short but trashy trip), Short film by Raja Saddiki
Scenarios and productions
Motion picture
Zeft, movies from the play by the same author Sidi Yassin Fi Tariq
Movie Scenarios
Blood Wedding, Souheil Ben Barka, 1976, as co-writer and dialogue
Sijnabad, written by Tayeb Saddiki in 1984, never shot
The golden tooth / la dent d'or, written by Tayeb Saddiki in 1985, never shot
Documentaries
Traditional medicine with Jacques Barratier (40 min)
Dragonfly (Libellule) (30 min)
The Ciriers of Fez (22 min)
Moroccan painting (36 min)
Agadir's marquee (40 min)
Dakira (memory), 10 hours on the history of Morocco
It was a faith (Il était une foi) (30 min), film about the Hassan II Mosque with Hamid Berrada
Institutional films
BCM (30 min)
OCP (40 min)
The Marrakech Festival (26 min)
I.U.M (University of Ifrane) (25 min)
The Baghdad Festival (20 min)
Adapted works for television
Al Faylassouf
Mahjouba
The Farce of the Master Pathelin
Volpone
Diwan Sidi Abderrahman El Mejdoub
Sidi Yassin Fi Tariq
El Harraz (2 versions)
Annour Oua Addijour
Khourafat Al Maskine
Annakcha
Translated Signs
The superstition
The good ones
The Fear of the Blows
Al Qouq fi Sandouq
Moummou Boukhersa
Nahnou
Massiratouna
Alf Hikaya Wa Hikaya Fi Souq Okad
Maqamat Badii Ezzamane El Hamadani
Aswat Oua Adouae
The Seven Grains Of Beauty
Al Fil Wa Sarawil
Wa Laou Kanat Foula
Jnane Chiba
Qaftane Al Hob Al Mrassae Bal Houa
Al Qouq Fi Sandouq
Bouktef
Azizi
Al Karassi
Plays
Ammi Zalt
Original work: Bonhomme Misère
Staging and dramatic rewriting : André Voisin
Adaptation: Ahmed Taïeb El Alj
Language : Arabic
Maâlem Azzouz
Original work: Le Barbier de Séville, Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
Adaptation: Ataa Ouakil (Abdessamad Kenfaoui, Tahar Ouaâziz and Ahmed Taïeb El Alj)
Stage direction: André Voisin
Language : Arabic
1955-1956
Ach’taba (les balayeurs)
Original work: Troupe du Théâtre Marocain
Stage direction: André Voisin
Language : Arabic
Aâmayel J’ha
Original work: Les fourberies de Scapin, Molière
Adaptation: Ataa Ouakil (Abdessamad Kenfaoui, Tahar Ouaâziz and Ahmed Taïeb El Alj)
Stage direction: André Voisin
Assistant: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Hamland
Original work: William Shakespeare
Translation: Khalil Matran, Tahar Ouaâziz
Stage direction: André Voisin
Language : Arabic
Ahl Al Kahf (les gens de la caverne)
Original work: Tawfiq Al Hakim
Stage direction: Didier Béraud
Language : Arabic
1956-1957
Al Warith
Original work: Le légataire universel, Jean-François Regnard
Adaptation: Ahmed Taïeb El Alj and Tayeb Saddiki
Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Al Faylassouf (le philosophe)
Original work: La jalousie du barbouillé de Molière
Adaptation & Stage direction: Ahmed Taïeb El Alj and Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Le médecin volant, Molière
Adaptation & Stage direction: Ahmed Taïeb El Alj and Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Les Bonnes, Jean Genand
Adaptation & Stage direction: Ahmed Taïeb El Alj and Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1957-1958
Al Moufattich
Original work: Le Révizor de Nicolaï Gogol
Adaptation & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Volte-face
Original work: Bayn Yawm Wa layla (entre jour and nuit) de Tawfiq Al Hakim
Translation : Théâtre multicolore, recueil de pièces de théâtre, Nouvelles Ed. Latines, 1954
Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : French
1958-1959
Al Jins Allatif
Original work: L’assemblée des femmes and Lysistrata d’Aristophane
Adaptation & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Pantagleize
Original work: Michel de Ghelderode
Stage direction: Georges Goubert
Language : French
Centre dramatique de l’Ouest – C.D.O. (role : Ban Boulah)
1959-1960
Le Carthaginois
Original work: Plaute
Adaptation : Henri Clouard
Stage direction: Daniel Sorano
Language : French
Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier, Paris (role: Milphin)
Les fourberies de Scapin
Original work: Molière
Stage direction: Jacques Sarthou
Language : French
Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier, Paris (role: Scapin)
La peur des coups, Georges Courteline
Adaptation & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Volpone, Ben Jonson
Adaptation & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1960-1961
Qissat Al Hasnae (histoire de la belle)
Original work: Lady Godiva, Jean Carrole
Adaptation & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Safar Tchûn Li
Original work: Le Voyage de Tchong-li, Sacha Guitry
Adaptation & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Moulat Al Foundouk
Original work: La locandiera de Carlo Goldoni
Adaptation : Tayeb Saddiki
Stage direction: Abdessamad Dinia
Language : Arabic
Mahjouba
Original work: L’école des femmes, Molière
Adaptation & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1961-1962
Fi Intidar Mabrouk
Original work: En attendant Godot de Samuel Beckandt
Adaptation & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Al Fassl Al Akhir
Original work: Aziz Seghrouchni
Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1962-1963
Al Moussadafa
Original work: Le jeu de l’amour and du hasard, Pierre de Marivaux
Adaptation & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1963-1964
Hamid ou Hammad
Original work: Abdallah Chakroun
Adaptation : Tayeb Saddiki
Stage direction: Abdessamad Dinia
Language : Arabic
Oued El Makhazine (The Battle of the Three Kings)
Original work & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Epic show
1964-1965
Moummou Boukhersa
Original work: Amédée ou comment s’en débarrasser, Eugène Ionesco
Adaptation & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1965-1966
Soltan Tolba
Original work: Abdessamad Kenfaoui
Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Sidi Yassin Fi Tariq
Original work & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Al Maghrib Wahed (le Maroc est Un)
Original work: Saïd Saddiki and Tayeb Saddiki
Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Epic show
1966-1967
Madinat Annouhas
Original work: Saïd Saddiki
Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Rajoul Fi Al Massida
Original work: , Robert Thomas
Adaptation & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1967-1968
Diwan Sidi Abderrahman El Mejdoub
Original work & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1968-1969
Moulay Ismaïl
Original work: Saïd Saddiki and Tayeb Saddiki
Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Epic show
1969-1970
Annakcha
Original work : Le journal d’un fou, Nicolaï Gogol
Original work & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Al Akbach Tatamarrane
Original work: Ahmed Taïeb El Alj and Tayeb Saddiki
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Arras Oua Achaâkouka
Original work: Saïd Saddiki
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1970-1971
Kaddour Nour and Ghandour
Original work: Fando and lys, Fernando Arrabal
Adaptation : Tayeb Saddiki
Stage direction : Hamid Zoughi
Language : Arabic
Language : Arabic
Je mange de ce pain-là (I eat from that Bread)
Original work and stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : French
‘Ala Baladi Al Mahboub
Original work: Ali Haddani and Tayeb Saddiki
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Epic show
Al Harraz
Original work : Abdeslam Chraïbi
Rewriting & Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1971-1972
Maârakat Zellaqa
Original work and Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Epic show
Maqamat Badii Ezzamane El Hamadani
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1972-1973
Annour Oua Addijour
Original work : Abdeslam Chraïbi and Tayeb Saddiki
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
La magie rouge (Red Magic)
Original work : Michel de Ghelderode
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Presented by two theatratic troupes : ATF (Friends of French theatre, France) and Masrah Ennas (Morocco)
Language : French
Kane Ya Ma Kane Aou Maghrib 73
Original work : Saïd Saddiki
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1973-1974
Essefoud
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Al Qouq fi Sandouq
Original work : Misère and noblesse, Eduardo Scarpandta
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Moulay Idriss
Original work : Abdeslam Al Beqqali
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Epic show
1974-1975
Khourafat Al Maskine
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Cha’ir Al Hamra
Collective creation
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Epic show
Al Massira Al Khadra
Collective creation
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Epic show
1975-1976
Al Ghoufrane
Original work : Azzeddine El Madani, from the book of Abou Alaa Al Maârri
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1976-1977
Bouktef
Original work : Abdessamad Kenfaoui
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1979-1980
Darna
Original work : Tayeb Saddiki
One Man Show / Tales
Language : Arabic / French
1980-1981
Iqad Assarira fi Tarikh Essaouira
Original work : Mohamed Ben Saïd Saddiki
Adaptation and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Al Bey’aa
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Epic show
1982-1983
Chants Mystiques, les confréries
Original work and Stage direction: Tayeb Saddiki
Poems and texts from Sufis and mystics
Language : Arabic
1983-1984
Kitab Al Imtae Wa Al Mouanassa (Abū Hayyān al-Tawhīdī)
Original work : Tayeb Saddiki
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic / French
1984-1985
Alf Hikaya Wa Hikaya fi Souq Okad
Original work : Walid Saif
Scenario : Tayeb Saddiki and Nidal Ashqar
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
1985-1986
Massiratouna
Collective creation
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Epic show
Nahnou
Collective creation
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Epic show
1989-1990
Aswat Oua Adouae
Original work : Saïd Saddiki and Mohammed Kaouti
Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Epic show
1990-1991
Les sept grains de beauté
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : French
Les folies berbères
Original work : Tayeb Saddiki
Stage direction : Abdelkader Alloula
Language : French / Arabic
1991-1992
Nous sommes faits pour nous entendre
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : French
1993-1994
Molière, ou pour l’amour de l’humanité (Prix Atlas)
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : French
1996-1997
Al Fil Oua Saraouil (éléphant and pantalons)
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Bsat theater en Arabic
1997-1998
Jnane Chiba
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Bsat theater in Arabic
Wa Laou Kanat Foula
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Bsat theater in Arabic
1998-1999
Qaftane Al Hob Al Mrassae Bal Houa
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Bsat theater in Arabic
1999-2000
As’hour ‘Inda Al Mouslimine, Al Yahoud wa Annassara
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Bsat theater in Arabic
2000-2001
Tiw Tiw
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
Kids theater
2001-2002
Al Masrah Elmahdoume
Original work : Tayeb Saddiki (translated from le dîner de gala)
Adaptation and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
2003-2004
Azizi
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki from original texts and poems of Saïd Saddiki
Language : Arabic and French
La Boule Magique (la Bola Magica)
Original work and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic and Spanish
Kids theater
2005-2006
Al Karassi
Original work : les chaises, Eugène Ionesco
Adaptation and Stage direction : Tayeb Saddiki
Language : Arabic
2010-2011
Bouhdi (Wana Mali) (Alone, Why do I care)
Original work: Tayeb Saddiki
One Man Show
Language : Arabic / French
2018-2019
Sidi Abderrahmane El Majdoub
Original work: Tayeb Saddiki (1966)
Production : Tayeb Saddiki Foundation
Language : Arabic
Morocco - France - Italy - United Arab Emirates
References
Moroccan male writers
Moroccan dramatists and playwrights
1939 births
2016 deaths
People from Essaouira
Male dramatists and playwrights
20th-century dramatists and playwrights
20th-century male writers
Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres