The first public performance by Abdelmajid Lakhal occurred in 1948, when at age nine he appeared in Khātimat al-naffāf. This early exposure to the stage initiated a career that spanned over six decades, establishing him as a versatile interpreter of both classical theatre and contemporary cinema within Tunisia and across the international stage.
Foundations in Performance
Raised in Hammam-Lif, Lakhal developed a consistent commitment to the arts. By age 16, he became deeply involved with the Group Jeunes Comédiens. In 1960, he formalised his training as a student at the National Theatre of Music and Dance in Tunis. His early professional efforts focused on stage acting, appearing in works such as Robert Merle’s Flaminio and Federico García Lorca’s Yerma during the mid-1960s.
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Transitioning into directing, Lakhal served as an assistant to Alì Ben Ayed for a 1968 production of Hamlet in Hammamet. His debut as a professional director arrived in 1971 with an adaptation of Robert Thomas’s 8 Ladies. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he oversaw various stage productions, including Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and Lamine Nahdi’s El Forja. His directorial work took him to international venues, including Paris, Egypt, and Lebanon.
Screen and Television Career
Lakhal became a familiar figure on Arab television starting in the late 1960s, appearing in multiple telefilms and serialised dramas like Abou Raihana and Souris à la vie. His cinema work included high-profile international collaborations, such as roles in Roberto Rossellini’s The Messiah and Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth. His final film appearance occurred in the 2011 production Black Gold, where he portrayed the Old Imam.
Legacy and Final Years
In his later career, Lakhal focused on staging Arabic translations of classical European dramas, such as those by Carlo Goldoni and Anton Chekhov, performed at the Municipal theatre of Tunis. He maintained his linguistic versatility, working in French, Italian, English, and Arabic. Following his death in 2014 in Tunis, he was interred at Jebel Boukornine.
Fast facts
- Born: 1939, Bizerte
- Died: 2014, Tunis
- Citizenship: Tunisia, French protectorate of Tunisia
- Final film role: Old Imam in Black Gold (2011)
- Languages spoken: French, Italian, English, Arabic
- Burial site: Jebel Boukornine
- Directorial debut: 8 Ladies (1971)
Questions readers ask
What was Abdelmajid Lakhal's first role?
His first performance was in 1948 in the play 'Khātimat al-naffāf' at the age of nine.
Did Lakhal direct international productions?
Yes, he directed the Group of the Theatre de Tunis, which toured in Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Austria, and at the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris.
Achievements
- Notable work: The Messiah
- Notable work: Fatma 75
- Notable work: Jesus of Nazareth
- Notable work: Le baruffe chiozzotte
- Worked as actor, theatre director and stage actor
