A remarkable revival of the Egyptian theatre occurred during the fifties and sixties. A combination of factors must have contributed in no small measure to this efflorescence. In the first place, a wave of optimism swept over Egypt in the wake of the army Revolution of 1952. There was expectancy in the air; for a while the nation was galvanized and prepared to embark on new ventures. Because the country was now ruled by a youthful group of army officers, the young felt that the road was suddenly open before them and indeed it was unprecedented in modern Egyptian history for so many young people to find themselves in positions of leadership in journalism and publishing and in the world of culture generally. The dramatists who constituted the theatrical revival were nearly all young people, less cautious, perhaps, but certainly more eager to experiment with the form and language of drama than their older contemporaries – with the obvious exception of Tawfiq al-Hakim who, as we have seen, managed to remain in the vanguard throughout his career. The mood of optimism is expressed in several plays in which the young dramatists contrast the promising present and future with the corrupt ancient régime.