Abdulhussein Abdulredha

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti actor, playwright and comedian Abdulhussein Abdulredha has died at the age of 78 after a career spanning decades that made him a household name across the Gulf. State news agency KUNA said Abdulredha, who had heart surgery in 2015, died of natural causes on Friday in London where he had been in an intensive care unit for two days.

HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah expressed deep distress and grief at demise of Abdulredha. Kuwait has lost a great iconic personality in the field of theatrical art and a pioneer and celebrity in the Kuwaiti, Arab and Gulf theaters, the Amir stated on the somber occasion.

He recalled the artistic message of the stalwart artist and his dramatic and creative contributions over 40 years, namely dramatic and comedic works that will continue to be applauded and admired and would remain a school for those who would follow his steps with regards to his loyalty to the homeland and interaction with its causes. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad expressed admiration for Abdulredha's great role in promoting and developing Kuwaiti drama. He prayed for the deceased's soul and expressed solace for his bereaved family and fans.

The seventh of 14 children, Abdulredha was born and raised in Kuwait and rose to stardom through his satirical television and theatre work, largely critical of Arab and global politics. Throughout a career launched in the 1960s and which stretched to May 2017, Abdulredha tackled issues including mass Arab emigration, the rise of political Islam and the plight of stateless people in the region.

One of his most prominent plays, "Bye Bye London" (1981), addresses the influx of Arab tourists into London in the 1970s and touches on issues of Pan-Arabism. In the comedy "Seif Al-Arab" ("Arab Sword" 1992), Abdulredha portrays a comical version of Iraq's dictator Saddam Hussein during first Gulf War and his invasion of Kuwait. Abdulhussein also penned, and sang, the tune "Mister Bush" in the early 1990s, dedicated to former US president George Bush after the Gulf War triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

Social media users from Saudi Arabia to Qatar took to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to mourn the loss of Abdulredha. "Rough morning. Emotions running low. A mourning nation. Abdulhussein Abdulredha is no longer here with us," read one tweet from Kuwait. "May he rest in peace. Today we lost a piece of Kuwait," an Instagram user posted alongside a picture of the national obituary for Abdulredha. In May, Abdulredha had appeared in the massively popular "Selfie", a television special that airs across the Gulf during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. - Agencies (See Page 5)