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 popular in the Arab world.
He is a pioneer of Arab theater, an actor and a film director, but he was also an award-winning author writing in both Arabic and French.Ghassan Maleh, Don Rubin, The Arab World, ed. Taylor & Francis, 1999, , p. 172 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 technics 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 Source: 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
Country Decoration Year Ouissam al-Massira / the medal of the march, awarded by King Hassan II 1976 Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres / Knight of Arts and Letters1979 Officier des Arts et des Lettres / Officer of Arts and Letters1983 Price of the first work at Carthage Film Days (journées cinématographiques de Carthage) for his film Zeft1984 Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres / Commander of Arts and Letters1997Archives of the ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Ouissam al-Kafaâ al-Fikria / The Medal of Intellectual Competence, décerné par le Roi Mohammed VI2005
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: Éditions Fata Morgana, 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