Ali Sellali

Born in the Casbah of Algiers, Ali Sellali began his artistic life as an oral meddah storyteller and comedic mime. On April 12, 1926, at the Grand Casino of Algiers, he staged Djeha, the historic first play written and performed entirely in Algerian colloquial Arabic (darja).

His theatrical sketches transformed classic folk wisdom into sharp social satire against colonial bureaucracy and moral complacency, paving the way for Bachtarzi and Rouiched. Following independence, he mentored young writers and actors at the Algerian National Conservatory.