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[Page 71]
nuisance owing to the numerous air shafts & the redeeming feature of this theatre is the freshness of the air, & on Saturday afternoon matinees it was a pleasure to wander into its cool depths from the hot street.
Up town, a little higher, is the Opera House, situated in the classy region of Opera Square. This is devoted to opera mainly but owing to war scares the usual season was cancelled during 14. Towards the latter end of my stay the Arabic management took over this theatre for a short season. Their own theatre over in – square, near Esbekieh Gardens is rather a gem. It is a very modern structure & quite as theatres should be. I had one of the artistes to explain & show me over this building & I was also a guest of the management to witness a production of "Hamlet" by Bill Shakespeare" in Arabic.
The translation was remarkable & altho I could not understand the speeches & speaking parts, I could follow the entire piece through on the business of the play, which was quite familiar to me having seen it previously. The curtain is raised at 9.30 p.m. & the usual ending is close on midnight. As life, after dark, generally awakens there it is not unusual for starting seventy five minutes after our time.