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Troupe Courage / Alaa Shehada

The horse of Jenin
het TheaterFestival
  • Wed 03.09
    20:30 - 21:40
    NTGent schouwburg
    Sint-Baafsplein 17
    Tickets
  • Thu 04.09
    20:30 - 21:40
    NTGent schouwburg
    Sint-Baafsplein 17
    Tickets

The horse of Jenin, written and performed by Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada,  tells a universal story of resilience and imagination. This show combines storytelling, mask  and stand-up comedy to explore the everyday life of a boy growing up in Jenin in Occupied  Palestine who, like every child in the world, just wants to play and have fun. 

Following a major invasion in 2002, a German artist travelled to the city to create an artwork  with the kids of Jenin. They built a horse, five-metres tall, out of metal and debris from the  invasion. The horse is an Arabic symbol of freedom, so the people of Jenin placed this statue  in the centre of the city where it stood for 20 years to represent their hope and resistance. In  October 2023, an Israeli army bulldozer entered the camp and the horse was ripped from its  place and driven away. 

In this solo show, Shehada wonders what happened to the Horse of Jenin and with a  powerful mix of imagination and comedy, he builds a new horse from the fragments of his  memories and his hopes for the future.

 

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“...een symbool van vrijheid en verzet kun je misschien vernietigen, het idee erachter niet.” "Steeds weet Shehada echter goed het midden te houden tussen de gruwelen van de bezetting en het feit dat je als Palestijns kind ook gewoon je leven leidt – en je eerste verliefdheid beleeft bijvoorbeeld.”

NRC ★★★★

Performer/Writer: Alaa Shehada - Direction: Katrien van Beurden, Thomas van Ouwerkerk - Stand-Up Comedy & Co-writer: Sam Beale - Masks: Den Durand - Music: Remy van Kesteren, Khalil Al Batran - Dramaturgy: Maarten Bos - Lighting Design/Technical Support: Roderick Bredenoord - Artist (Horse Statue): Thomas Kilpper - Artistic Core Member: Sacha Muller - Business Management: Monique Bos - Publicity: Sarah Milo, Blyde - Stage Photography: Kamerich & Budwilowitz - Campaign Photo: Dario&Misja Photography - Poster Design: Buro Fritz - Trailer: David Koster - Special thanks to: Valifonds, Voordekunst, the donors of the crowdfunding campaign, Jacqueline Kleijn, Hugo Keuzenkamp, Tjipke Bergsma, Nan van Houte, Lucas Hendricks, Shelly Razaac