Iraq street satirists peddle culture change
‘Our audience is receptive as they know what we are enacting exists in reality’
On a strip of pavement in the southern Iraqi city of Kut, a gaggle of amateur comedians pulls in the crowds every Friday — drawing chuckles, smiles and knowing nods.
With a rich repertoire of skits, Khalid Al Atbi and his peers poke fun at politicians more interested in lining their pockets than rebuilding a country devastated by decades of war.
“Theatre is a message,” said the 42-year-old Al Atbi, director and actor in the sevenstrong troupe.
“With our satire, we condemn ... corruption, lack of public services and tribal activities,” he said, citing those factors as central to discontent in Iraq. Since the US-led ouster of dictator Saddam Hussain in 2003, Iraq has been plagued by graft and sectarian fighting, culminating in Daesh seizing around a third of its territory in 2014.
As Iraq seeks to move beyond the brutal war that last year finally defeated the extremists, Al Atbi is determined to embarrass officials who pocket bribes and hand out plum civil service jobs to relatives.
In one sketch, Al Atbi plays a diligent official obliged to work with incompetent but politically connected colleagues.
“Our audience is very receptive because they know what we are enacting exists in reality,” said Al Atbi.
Less than two years after they began working the streets, the group’s efforts have already brought about change, according to Kut residents.
“We can challenge leaders and solve social problems,” said 48-year-old teacher Abu Ali, who never misses a Friday skit. But not everyone is a fan. The group has attracted online trolls, and while street audiences are generally very supportive, hecklers make their presence felt.
“’You exaggerate!’ ‘Stop insulting the parties and leaders!’” are common refrains, Al Atbi shrugged. But the performers are not discouraged.
Once a week, they set up on “Tigris Culture Street”, among stalls of second-hand books lining the banks of the river running through the agricultural region.
The plays are the only “breath of air ... for people of culture” in the area, said hairdresser Karim Al Bahadli. “They express the feelings that are inside,” said Al Bahadli. ■