Yusuf Al-Ani: Working without rules

Abstract

Yusuf al-Ani’s creative development is examined within the context of his collaborators and intellectual influences. Special emphasis is placed on al-Ani’s origins and motivations for the posture of his acting, writing and direction in the formative period of the Iraqi theatre. The article then turns to al-Ani’s influence on the modern Iraqi theatre. His collaboration with an array of other directors and performers is analysed for their impacts on such developments, especially in the absence of theatrical training amongst Iraqis now working in the professional domain. Al-Ani’s al-Masrah al-Hadith (The Modern Theatre) troupe is also analysed for these relationships in light of how many Iraqi directors and writers emerged from it over subsequent years. Al-Ani’s deployment of ‘The Little Man’ and Iraqi folk-tales are weighed for their innovative ability to allow his work to speak to all social classes. His considered iterative development of his style led to a sophisticated portrayal onstage and screen. This saw al-Ani’s works take that which was familiar in many Iraqis’ lives to the stage, encouraging new perspectives that audience members would necessarily then apply to their lived realities outside the performance venue.