Desert Poet

At the shrine in Ankara of poet Imru’ Al-Qays a disillusioned young man in search of his roots is sold a dream by a troupe of actors. He encounters poets, lovers and prophets and dreams he is al-Qays himself. When war-poet Aboud disrupts him at a poetry festival the two compete for the ultimate crown.A World Première with poetry by Imru’ Al-Qays and Adnan al-Sayegh stitched and mounted by SplitMoon Theatre timed with the 20th anniversary of the allied invasion of Iraq. Desert Poet travels from the urban to the ancient desert in dramatic form. It tells the complex rite of passage of many that have arrived from other cultures. For the very first time the Master Poem of Imru’ Al-Qays will be presented to a European audience in Arabic and English. Exiled Iraqi poet Adnan al-Sayegh is the recipient of several international poetry awards.