Many theatre scholars have focused on Arab dramatists and yet
theatre in Kuwait has not received enough scholarly attention. One
Kuwaiti dramatist (writing during the twentieth century) has paved
the way in presenting issues of identity, hybridity, and belonging.
ʿAbd al-ʿAziz al-Surayyi’s influential play Ḍāʿ āl-Dīk(1971) was
translated into English (The Bird Has Flown). This article offers a
close reading of the English translation and interrogates issues of
identity, family, and belonging in Kuwaiti society during the
twentieth century. The play’s hero, Yousef, is the son of a Kuwaiti
father and Indian mother. Arriving to Kuwait, he tries to assimilate
but ultimately fails, leaving behind a tragedy. The article traces
Yousef’s coming-of-age narrative and analyses the play’s
showcasing of social issues.