Abdelkader ALLOULA's theatre

Originating in the 1920s during the period of French colonial rule, Algerian theatre saw the rise of illustrious playwrights such as Rachid Ksentini, Ould Abderrahmane Kaki, Allalou, Mahieddine Bachtarzi, and Mustapha Kateb. During this era of colonial Algeria, concurrent with the birth of the national movement, theatrical practice took on a distinct identity-driven and political dimension. Nevertheless, the use of language as a vehicle for the theatrical message presented a challenge. In which language should it be conveyed to the audience: Classical Arabic, French, or dialectal Arabic? Algerian theatre practitioners resolved this by opting for dialectal Arabic, the only idiom that the majority of Algerians mastered at the time.