The Man of the Kasbah

Theatre + Q&A | In ENGLISH | Doors open 19:30 | Duration: 90mins

Tickets 12€

At the door 14€

Content warning: Full frontal, male nudity | +18

This three-act monodrama follows Mohamed Saïd as he navigates his identity within the strictures of Moroccan norms of masculinity. The performance boldly addresses male trauma and the often-overlooked scars of circumcision, framing these personal experiences within broader themes of repression, identity, and silenced male vulnerability.

The show is distinguished by its innovative theatrical language, combining poetic text, minimalist staging, experimental techniques, and elements of cruelty theatre. Raw, physical, and sensorial, the work delivers a visceral and provocative experience that challenges audience expectations and invites profound reflection.

Written, directed and performed by Adam Belarbi.

Developed in 2025 at Nau Ivanow- A space of performing arts in Barcelona

Artist's statement: I wrote this monodrama as a personal journey of healing from the violence embedded in Moroccan traditions and societal norms of masculinity. Like many Moroccan men, we undergo circumcision ceremonies as children, where we are declared “men,” and throughout our upbringing we are fed rigid ideas of what it means to be masculine: the number we are to emotions, sensuality, and vulnerability, the more “manly” we are considered.

I created this show to give voice to those silenced experiences, to scream the unspoken screams of countless children. It explores the mental struggles men endure under societal pressure to conform to a prescribed form of masculinity. Refused in Morocco, this work found a space for development in Spain at Nau Ivanow, and I am now committed to sharing it across Europe.

The Man of the Kasbah is more than a performance; it is a man’s cry against injustice and the oppressive expectations of social masculinity.