The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) celebrated the end of its four-month Comedy Factory Initiative at Boulevard Riyadh City. GEA CEO Eng. Faisal Bafarat attended the ceremony, marking the conclusion of the initiative aimed at discovering new comedic talents.
Support and Success
Dr. Hassan Al-Balam, the Comedy Factory Initiative team leader, acknowledged the crucial support from GEA Board Chairman Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh. He emphasized that the initiative’s success stemmed from Alalshikh’s “belief in the Comedy Factory concept and his diligent pursuit of all its details drove the initiative’s success”.
“During the project, we had clear goals set for us, namely, establishing a Saudi youth comedy theatre,” he added.
He extended his gratitude to all those who contributed to the project’s success.
Showcase and Recognition
At the event, graduates performed two plays written by their peers: “The Enchanted Chair” and “Alzheimer.” The performances highlighted their skills in impersonation, acting, and diction.
Awards and Certificates
Certificates were awarded to students, and Bafarat presented commemorative shields to faculty members. Outstanding students also received shields. Honorees included Ghazwa Al-Mansour, Haitham Habib Al Ahmed, Othman Khalid Al-Nassar, and Nawaf Al-Qahtani for scriptwriting, and Haifa Ibrahim, Abeer Fahd, Noura Abdullah, Sultan Mohammed Al-Faisal, Nasser bin Thani Al-Anazi, Omar bin Hamad Al-Qahtani, and Abdullah Al-Osaimi for acting.
Opportunities and Participation
The initiative provided Saudi youths with a platform to showcase their comedic and writing talents. It also allowed them to develop their skills under expert guidance. The initiative received 3,500 applications, narrowing down to over 300 candidates at the evaluation stage, with 40 students selected for acting and writing tracks.
