Tayeb Saddiki

Tayeb Saddiki (Arabic: الطيب الصديقي; 5 January 1939 – 5 February 2016) was a Moroccan theatre director and one of the most iconic and prominent Arab artists, and is considered among the foremost Arab dramatists of the twentieth century. Trained in classical Western theater, Saddiki also embraced traditional Moroccan theatrical styles, fusing the two into a path-breaking combination of Western and traditional Moroccan theater. Known for staging spectacles played to large crowds in big arenas, Saddiki developed a style of festive theater that became a popular in the Arab world.

He is a pioneer of Arab theater, an actor and a film director, but he was also an award-winning author writing in both Arabic and French. From a family of scholars, he was born in Essaouira and grew up in Casablanca. After training courses with André Voisin, at the age of 17 he went abroad to France to study theater at Comédie de l'Ouest - CDO, directed by Hubert Gignoux. Back in Morocco, together with the Union Marocaine du Travail (UMT) he founded a Workers' theater / Al Masrah Al Oummali (1957). After that, he returned to France to further study theater tecnics at the TNP -the National Popular Theater in Paris-, under the direction of Jean Vilar.

At 23, he became artistic director of the Mohamed V theater (théâtre national Mohammed-V). After that he worked as director of the municipal theater of Casablanca (théâtre municipal de Casablanca) from 1964 to 1977.

He founded several theatre companies: Firqat Saddiki / Saddiki's troupe, Al Masrah Al Jawal / Traveling theater, Masrah Ennas / People's Theater and also his own cultural center at Casablanca, Espace Tayeb Saddiki (Tayeb Saddiki's center) at the boulevard Gandhi in Casablanca.

(Source : Tayeb Saddiki Foundation) 1953 - Stage of Dramatic Art at Maâmora (Morocco), Interpretation Award / Direction André Voisin and Charles Nugue

1954 - First contract with Moroccan theater troupe / la troupe du théâtre marocain, the first professional troupe in Morocco

1956 - Workshop at Centre Dramatique de l’Ouest – C.D.O, Rennes - Direction Hubert Gignoux

1957 - Works at the National Popular Theater (Théâtre National Populaire) - T.N.P in Paris, Direction Jean Vilar

1957-1958 - Founder of the Workers' theater (Al Masrah Al Oummali), Morocco

1959 - Training course at the Center Dramatique de l'Est - D.E, Direction Hubert Gignoux

1960 - Study Tour Berliner Ensemble - Germany, Direction Hélène Weigel - Bertolt Brecht's theatre company

1960 - Founder of The troupe of the Municipal Theater / (La troupe du Théâtre Municipal), Casablanca, Morocco

1963 - Founder of Firqat Saddiki / Saddiki's troupe, Morocco

1964 - Artistic director of the Mohamed V theater (théâtre national Mohammed-V), Rabat

1967-1969 - Member of the executive committee of Institut International du Théâtre, I.T.I – UNESCO

1964-1977 - Director of the municipal theater of Casablanca (théâtre municipal de Casablanca), Casablanca, Morocco

1970-1977 - Founder of Café-théâtre, Théâtre Municipal de Casablanca, Casablanca, Morocco

1970 - Founder of Masrah Ennas / People's Theater, Casablanca, Morocco

1974 - Founder of Al Masrah Al Jawal / Traveling theater, Casablanca, Morocco

1980 - Founder of Essaouira Festival Music first / la musique d'abord

1980 - 1982 - Responsible at the Ministry of Tourism, Casablanca, Morocco

1984-1986 - Television is moving (Attalfaza Tataharrak), S.N.R.T, program to revamp Moroccan television programs, Morocco

1997 - Founder of the Espace Tayeb Saddiki (Mogador Theater), Casablanca, Morocco