CAIRO — Young Egyptians' fear and worry about their wedding night has been captured in a daring play in Cairo. The performance calls on the public to end archaic traditions that make the first hours of marriage a nightmare for many newlyweds.

“Awal Yawm Zawag” ("Wedding Night") casts a new eye on some old traditions, particularly the ritual of displaying blood-stained sheets to a waiting audience to show that the sexual intercourse has been carried out and the bride was a virgin. The practice is common in Egyptian tradition, as in most Muslim countries.

The play was performed for Cairo audiences in the Romance Theater in early July. Critics would now like to see it staged in conservative Upper Egypt — where the play is actually set — and its producer and director would like to see it reach a larger audience on satellite TV.

There are no major celebrities among the cast, but the play nevertheless attracted large audiences, partly because the producers decided to stage the show free of charge between July 1 and July 3 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the ousting of President Mohammed Morsi following public protests against the Muslim Brotherhood regime in 2013.