Alaa Shehada in The Horse of Jenin

ALAA Shehada’s buoyant one-man show The Horse of Jenin begins as stand-up. He creates an easy rapport with the audience (in both Arabic and English), who quickly warm to his jokes before he shifts into something more theatrical.

Drawing on historical fact and memories, the Palestinian writer-comedian uses Den Durand’s expressive masks to portray characters from his neighbourhood, from his mother to his best friend Ahmad.

In anecdotal storytelling, Shehada recounts his birth in 1991 and the friends and family who shaped his childhood in Occupied Palestine. He marks the passing years through his changing weight, and describes his friendship with Ahmad and the girl he tried to woo.

A central thread is German artist Thomas Kilpper, who, working with residents of Jenin Refugee Camp, built the titular sculpture from the debris of the second intifada.

The sculpture dominated the centre of the city and Shehada’s life for 20 years; a beacon of hope and resistance: “The horse in Arabic is a symbol of freedom. But to us, this horse is much more. This horse is us.”

On October 29, 2023, an Israeli bulldozer entered Jenin, tearing the sculpture from its place and the community who cherished it.

Alongside these memories, Shehada traces his path to becoming an actor, training at The Freedom Theatre Acting School in Jenin (West Bank) before moving to Amsterdam, where he lives today.

The show could have been slicker, but its rough edges are part of its appeal. Katrien van Beurden and Thomas van Ouwerkerk provide assured direction and Shehada is effortlessly charismatic, treating the emotional material with a light touch that never diminishes its impact.

From January 14-22
bushtheatre.co.uk