It is always welcome news to hear that Maisah Sobaihi is performing her show, “Head Over Heels in Saudi Arabia”, not just because it is a good show, but also because it is one of the very rare theater productions by a Saudi performer. The venue was once again at the theater in Effat University, ideal in every way except for the location – it is a long drive across Jeddah and, even with a map, not easy to find. I always feel that if the show was in a more easily accessible venue, Sohaihi would benefit from much larger audiences. Her recent show was performed over several days in the purpose-built theater in the Effat University. It is a rare treat in Saudi Arabia to be able to attend a show in such a lovely theater and a tribute to Effat that they have made this possible. “Head Over Heels in Saudi Arabia” is a one-act play that Sobaihi has written and directed herself. It takes a light-hearted look at various topics concerning women in Saudi Arabia, especially marriage and women's relationship with men. She is very attractive, has an instantly engaging on-stage personality, and wastes no time in connecting with the people in her audience. She has an easy confidence and makes it clear that she wants them involved and encourages their participation. It is three years since I first saw her perform and yet she seems to look several years younger. The stage setting is impressive with its massive back-drop of a painting of the Jeddah Old Town buildings, courtesy of Effat University. She alternates between playing the part of the narrator, and the parts of two different women: Layla, and Mariam, who is a businesswoman. Both these women's lives are defined by their relationship to men and how they are treated by the men in their lives. She uses Mariam to show how a woman might react to the news that her husband wishes to take a second wife. In this instance, Mariam eventually holds the trump card as her husband has been working for her father for many years, earning a handsome salary. He has waited until her father has died before daring to take a second wife, but Mariam is the one who can eventually call the shots and her husband finds himself not in such a good position after all. Then there is Layla, her other character, who is the “other woman”, the hidden second wife who is involved in a “misyar” marriage of convenience. To begin with, everything is wonderful: she is spoilt and bought lots of gifts. She looks and feels years younger and becomes delightfully youthful and frivolous. But suddenly it all comes to an end when the man reveals that his number one wife is suspicious, and he decides to end the relationship – or marriage – with an sms message. Marriage and divorce can be that simple for a man. Sobaihi uses her voice brilliantly to switch from being the manipulative and saccharine woman – like when Mariam is persuading a friend working in a hospital to find out why her husband's new wife has been in hospital – to the furious, indignant women telling another friend what is going on. (The new wife has been in hospital having breast enhancement surgery.) At times her voice can get a little bit too shrill, but nonetheless, she makes her audience laugh at these otherwise unhappy events. Women's dependency on men to define who they are, or where they are in life, is not just a Saudi issue, and like women the world over, Sobaihi's women turn to each other for solace and understanding. Women from other cultures can also identify with them and what they are going through; betrayal and divorce are common themes. Sobaihi also touches on the trials and tribulations that women have with their drivers – they sometimes resort to employing expatriates that they know very little about, least of all how well they can drive. She takes us briefly to a Saudi wedding, commenting through her character about the inconvenience of the very late hours of these functions. Now that she has gained considerable confidence in being on stage, it would be good see Sobaihi develop her show further with new themes. She is one of a kind in Saudi Arabia at the moment and having developed her talent this far, it is time to start giving herself new challenges. Are modern Saudi women really so dependent on having their roles in life defined by men? More and more of them are very well educated and moving into high-powered careers. What else is happening in their lives? She hasn't touched on the fact that in all the shopping malls, the women's clothing shops and lingerie shops are staffed by men (soon to change), and how that might affect their lives. There is considerable freedom for women to move around in Jeddah in particular, with a vibrant café society developing. She is considering taking her show to the Edinburgh Festival in summer 2012, a world-renowned event where it would no doubt be very popular – people are eager to learn whatever they can about Saudi Arabia. However, it would be an expensive move and she therefore needs sponsorship from someone who is prepared to promote Saudi performing arts – and Sobaihi's show would be a great Saudi “first” at Edinburgh.
