Abdulredha, the Kuwaiti whose comedy shone a light on Arab society, dies aged 78
Abdulhussein Abdulredha, whose off-script wit and comedic talent provided Kuwaitis with laughter and a voice for some of the nation’s most pertinent issues, died yesterday in London. He was 78.
Beyond providing Kuwaitis with entertainment for more than half a century on stage, Abdulredha reminded his countrymen they possess the right to express themselves freely.
He taught them that regardless of how difficult, dire, or sad times might become, it was necessary to take a moment to laugh.
Abdulredha’s performances extended far beyond his country’s borders. They were often insights into Arab society, winning the hearts of viewers around the globe with his quick-witted charisma on stage and off-the-cuff quips hitting at the heart of the Arab world’s most pressing problems.
For Kuwaitis and to Gulf citizens at large, his performances provided not only an escape from the harsh realities of a country that was developing, at times too aggressively, but also a guiding light in how to deal with the changes and maintain a sense of identity.
It was often the grey areas of social life that neither politics nor the media could fully address where Abdulredha found a home and built his following. He provided an insight into Gulf culture throughout his hundreds of performances acting, writing and directing plays and television.
In the 1970s, while Kuwaitis began travelling abroad, Abdulredha’s stage performance as a freewheeler in Bye Bye London brought into light the taboo of a Gulf man abroad, whose devoutness would suddenly disappear upon arriving at the London Hotel’s open bar and casino.
On a more sombre topic, Saif Al Arab, performed months after the liberation of Kuwait, gave his countrymen a chance to reflect on the realities of Abdulredha’s portrayal of an old Kuwaiti man weighing up whether to escape Kuwait during Iraq’s invasion of his country.
Halfway through the play, Abdulredha’s character dies just before Saddam Hussein enters the scene, also played by Abdulredha.
Throughout his performance as both characters, the actor touched on ideals of loyalty, the fear of a home lost and the resilience of Arab unity at a time when every aspect of that idea was being challenged.
Making the changes palpable to the Kuwaiti people in his own voice was essential to his performances. But Abdulredha was also the premier cultural ambassador for Kuwait, presenting an insight into his world, his people’s concerns and their sentiments to the greater Arab world.
Abdulredha’s acting career, which started in the 1960s, is regarded as the cornerstone of Gulf comedy and the main driver behind the golden age of Kuwaiti theatre in the 1970s and 1980s. He shared the stage with comedic greats Saad Al Faraj and Khalid Al Nafisi.
Perhaps more importantly is how influential he was in establishing the identity of not only the Gulf comic persona, but the modern Gulf man.
Banter with other actors with whom he shared the stage and his ability to veer off-script during one of his famous monologue rants that so accurately gave voice to public sentiment were key to establishing him as the country’s most beloved actor.
Abdulredha’s social and political opinions, eloquently wrapped in jest, reflected so accurately attitudes at the time that his performances are easily seen as insights into Kuwaiti history.
His voice stretched our ability to challenge any political or social force that attempts to silence Kuwaiti liberalism, one that is willing to not only talk about the country’s most pressing problems but to poke fun at them.
Abdulredha’s legacy will live on in all Gulf peoples’ sense of humour and in the very core of what it means to be a Kuwaiti.