The horse of jenin

In The Horse of Jenin, Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada tells a personal, disarming and universal story about growing up in a conflict-ridden area. As a child in Jenin, he, like everyone else, wants to play and have fun – until reality breaks in with tanks and rubble. From that rubble, together with a German artist, a five-metre-high horse is created: a work of art, a symbol of freedom, and above all of resistance with imagination. When the horse is destroyed years later, Alaa starts a new mission: to build a new horse – not from metal, but from memories, play and humour. The performance is physical, direct and moving, and shows how stories and play can create space where violence cannot. With a light tone and sharp observations, Alaa makes big themes palpable and human. The Horse of Jenin is a powerful piece of theatre about resilience, identity and the indispensable value of imagination.