Egyptian play cancelled after censors order cuts

Egypt’s state censors have prohibited the performance of a play on the day of its Cairo premiere, saying it cannot be shown without removing five scenes.

As a result, Ahmed El Attar, the director, cancelled the Sunday and Monday showings of Before the Revolution, a two-actor piece that depicts oppression and stagnation in Egypt before its 2011 popular uprising,

El Attar has appealed for a second censorship committee to watch the show today, hopefully allowing it to be shown without the cuts, which he said heavily distorted the piece.