After graduating with an MA in English Literature from Edinburgh University in 1994, Sulayman Al-Bassam worked as an assistant director in various London theatres (including The Gate and The Young Vic)  during the period 1994-1995.

In 1996 Al-Bassam co-founded Zaoum Theatre, which was to profoundly change the course of his career.

Aimed at producing new and exciting theatrical forms, Zaoum is an international grouping of theatre practitioners, musicians and visual artists, the company is in itself a celebration of cultural diversity.

Zaoum's projects all of which were written and directed by Al-Bassam vary hugely in scale, style and location and have performed to audiences throughout the UK , and at international festivals in France , Tunisia , Egypt and Kuwait .

1996, Everyman, or dreaming in car parks- An interactive video game performed in multi-storey carparks in London and Edinburgh. "The most risk-taking show on the fringe" (The Stage).

1997, The Game Show- In response to a commission from the National Theatre of Dijon, France, Zaoum produced a fast-moving and darkly satirical Game Show involving a troupe of 7 actors and 2 cars performing in an industrial warehouse.

1999, The 60 Watt Macbeth - Zaoum presented a series of hallucinatory, modern-day variations on Shakespeare's Macbeth.

In 2001, Al-Bassam was commissioned to present “Hamlet in Kuwait ” an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” specially prepared for performance in Kuwait on the 10^th anniversary of Kuwait ’s liberation and as part of the activities of Kuwait Cutural Capital of the Arab World, 2001. This work ‘s huge success was the first to draw real attention to Al-Bassam within the Arab World. Alongside the theatre production, Al-Bassam co-produced a documentary film with Trojan Horse Films about Zaoum’s journey to Kuwait and the socio-political context of the work entitled “Hamlet in Kuwait ”, currently on world distribution through Coldstar Films in London .

In response to dramatic world events (9/11) Zaoum’s work on Shakespeare’s Hamlet was developed and presented as “The Al-Hamlet Summit” a highly politicized piece that performed at Les Journees Theatrales de Cartage, in October 2001.

Undergoing a process of constant renewal and development, this piece was re-written and contextualised in a modern-day Middle East by Al-Bassam and presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2002. It was strongly received by the International and British press and won the prestigious Fringe First Award for innovation in writing and directing. Al-Bassam’s “The Al-Hamlet Summit” was presented at the Cairo International Festival of Experimental Theatre in September 2002, where it on the two most important prizes for Best Performance and Best Director.

The script of “The Al-Hamlet Summit” is shortly to be published by America ’s leading theatre magazine, Theatre Forum and Zaoum are currently planning a world tour of the work for 2003.

Sulayman Al-Bassam is curretly resident in his home country Kuwait , where he continues to develop his theatre work both locally and internationally. He has recently established ABC Kuwait  (Al-Bassam Culture) his own production company aimed at bringing international performance work to the region.