May Calamawy is heading to the London stage. From February 4 to March 13, 2027, the Egyptian-Palestinian actress will lead Samira, a new play at the Dorfman Theatre at the National Theatre, marking her UK theatre debut.
Written by British-Lebanese playwright Carmen Nasr and directed by Emily Burns, the production is part of the National Theatre’s 2027 season and is inspired by real events.
A Story Set During the Syrian Revolution
Set in Damascus in 2011, Samira follows its charismatic titular character, an activist who shares unfiltered accounts of street protests calling for change. As the revolution unfolds, academics in London closely follow her story from afar.
But when Samira suddenly disappears, the story takes a turn, with her disappearance becoming central to the play’s exploration of what happened and who gets to tell the truth.
A Play About Truth, Politics and What We See
According to the National Theatre, Samira explores authenticity, political upheaval, and the pursuit of truth, while examining the distance between witnessing events and living through them.
The play’s setup also brings together two very different perspectives: Samira experiencing the events on the ground, and academics in London trying to understand them from afar.
Calamawy’s First UK Theatre Role
Sharing the news on Instagram, Calamawy called the production her UK theatre debut, writing:
“I’m proud and grateful to be doing it alongside this talented group.”
For the actress, the role adds another chapter to a career that has already taken her from Egyptian-American comedy to the Marvel universe and now the London stage.
Meet the Rest of the Cast
Calamawy will star alongside Joshua McGuire as Dan, Lily Olufemi-Bywaters as Maya, Sirine Saba as Rana, Karim Saleh as Kamil, and Antonia Salib as Amira.
Behind the scenes, the creative team includes Frankie Bradshaw on set and costume design, Joshua Pharo on lighting, and Akhila Krishnan on video design.
From Ramy to Marvel and Beyond
Calamawy first gained widespread attention for playing Dena Hassan in Ramy, the comedy series created by and starring Egyptian-American comedian Ramy Youssef. She later joined the Marvel universe as Layla El-Faouly in the 2022 series Moon Knight.
This year, she appeared alongside Jack Reynor and Laia Costa in Lee Cronin’s The Mummy. She is also set to star as Priscilla Ragab in Netflix’s upcoming Extraction series.
With Samira, Calamawy is now bringing that growing screen career to the stage, making her London theatre debut in a story rooted in the Arab world.
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