The first queer play to be staged in Tunisia has premiered in the capital, Tunis. Director Essia Jaibi’s latest work aims to challenge conservative attitudes in a country where same-sex acts are punishable by prison terms. “Flagranti” (or “In the Act”), deals with “a reality that we pretend not to see”, said Jaibi. The work, co-produced by LGBTQ rights group Mawjoudin (translating to “we exist”), is played by six mostly amateur actors aged between 23 and 71, reflecting a decades-long struggle for gay rights in the North African country. Infused with black humour, it tells the stories of people who have suffered violence at home, in the workplace and in public.