Review: The Horse Of Jenin (Bush Theatre)
- All That Dazzles
- Nov 25
- 4 min read
Review by Seth Wilby
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
After a major invasion of Jenin in Palestine, international artists came together to create a sculpture of a horse from the debris. This horse stood in the centre of a roundabout for over twenty years and symbolised much more to the community than anyone could possibly imagine, especially to young Alaa Shehada. On the 29th October 2023, an Israeli bulldozer tore the horse from its place in the city, leaving Alaa to wonder what that meant.
Written and performed by actor and comedian Alaa Shehada, The Horse Of Jenin is a solo show, melding performance and comedy. Following a successful run at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, it now transfers to London for a recently extended run at Bush Theatre. Constructed from snippets of his own memories, this hilarious yet arresting coming-of-age tale details Alaa’s life growing up in Occupied Palestine, and takes the audience on a journey from his birth to the present day, immersing them in his story.
We begin with a short stand-up set from Shehada, whose sturdy charisma builds up a strong rapport with the audience through interactions with several, as well as a short sequence on the difference between Palestinian and European audiences. This is a great choice to set the tone for the show - despite the subject matter, this is, at its forefront, a comedy, and this sequence tells the audience not only that it’s okay to laugh, but they should expect to. It also establishes Shehada’s unique performance style, which has the audience eating from the palm of his hand, and the type of comedy to be expected for the rest of the evening. That said, this beginning does make the instant switch into the narrative slightly jarring, and some more gradual direction would have helped it flow better.
The show then continues into scenes of Alaa’s boyhood, through snapshots of him at school, and with his best friend. Like before, these demonstrate Shehada’s comedic prowess, and help establish the necessary cultural background for the story, properly immersing the audience in his upbringing. Most notable though is the sheer humour of these sequences. Shehada, along with co-writer Sam Beale, have created something which is genuinely funny, and properly rinses everyday situations for every drop of laughter they can obtain. The outcome is a show where you can not only appreciate its storytelling, but laugh along with it throughout.
Creatively directed by Katrien van Beurden and Thomas van Ouwerkerk, the play is inherently theatrical, and uses the medium to its full potential. Interluding mime sequences see Shehada bring an innate physicality to his performance as he dons numerous masks (brilliantly designed by Den Durand) and characterises the wider community in what is one of the play’s more intriguing (yet still successful) choices, keeping you consistently immersed while offering a new, engrossing method of storytelling. These moments are particularly useful in allowing time for the audience to reflect, letting them think more deeply about what Alaa might have mentioned in the prior scenes.
Later scenes show Alaa’s growing up in the increasingly difficult situation in Jenin. Seamlessly melding the humour and the sincerity, the play highlights some of the most influential moments in Alaa’s life- the most notable being him joining a theatre company in the refugee camp, which leads to one of the play’s funniest scenes that had the whole audience’s sides splitting from Shehada’s perfectly pitched performance and comedic timing. Moments of solemnity are neatly incorporated, with devastating descriptions of firearms at checkpoints and a doctor's death, yet the piece’s tone allows for these to elegantly flow amongst the lightness- the aftermath of one attack is used to make a droll commentary on Western media, for example. The eponymous horse continues to hang over these moments as a symbolic reminder of hope, resistance and community, standing with Alaa throughout the decades.
The play’s final scenes, bringing us up to the events of the past few years, are the most moving, with the looming expectations of the audience throughout meaning these carry the emotional core of the whole piece. It does deliver this, though it doesn’t necessarily reach dizzying emotive heights, instead leaving the pathos to come upon the audience’s own reflection. It’s the small lines that stay with you the most, and open up the most room for thought. Shehada’s versatility also shines in these more devastating moments, with his final monologue leaving a particularly strong message, and it is a great directorial choice to use this for some symbolic community-building amongst the audience. Ending on a video compilation of the horse leaves the audience reminded of what the play is truly about- the people.
The subject matter could definitely give you the wrong expectations for The Horse of Jenin- this is a comedy through and through. Sure, it has an emotional core in its premise, but, for the most part, it is a hugely enjoyable comedy. The emotion definitely has some unexplored scope, but this is a play remarkable in its storytelling achievements. It’s rare for something so consistently funny to leave you with so much to think about, but Horse of Jenin manages this with ease.
The Horse Of Jenin plays at the Studio space at Bush Theatre until 20th December, and moves into their main space from 14th - 22nd January.
Photos by Harry Elletson