Stage Review THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO

Alfred Clay as Nuri and Roxy Faridany as Afri

The Beekeeper of Aleppo

'They might keep us, they might send us back

And until they do, we wait'. The Beekeeper of Aleppo, 2023, stage production

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a Nottingham Playhouse world premiering/touring production; a stage adaptation by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler, from the novel of the same title by author, Christy Lefteri. Directed by Miranda Cromwell.

Acknowledging that this stage production in association, is the reviewer's first exposure to the narrative attached to 'The Beekeeper...' , so sees this as a love story at its very heart, and one which tells of the near past, the present, and uncertain future for character, Nuri ( Alfred Clay) and wife, Afra (Roxy Faridany) living in their Syrian homeland, and their beyond displacement.

Roxy Faridany (Afri) Alfred Clay (Nuri) 

and Joseph Long (Mustafa)

The Beekeeper of Aleppo

The couple's plight is backwards traced and ongoingly tracked. Therefore, scenes constantly switch from them living everyday lives before the war; their experiences of the cause and conflict in Syria and its effects there. The subsequent decison to escape from near certain death (for Nuri), and to follow their perilous journey across land, borders and sea(s) in an effort to join cousin, Mustafa (Joseph Long) in the UK.

This is an important, dramatic piece of work, the play's subject of exploration juxataposes with the cruel reality for many refugees and asylum seekers of the modern day. Topics include weapon deployment, the death and destruction of war, murderous acts,  inhumanity and cruelty; life threatening danger; treacherous individuals and gangs; unscrupulous money makers. The storylines also highlight the legal constraints and the serious lack of empathy and support for people in such desperate circumstance.

'For the majority of us who live life without conflict, tyranny and manipulation overshadowing our every day, we need a different perspective like this to remind us to be more mindful of the plight of others'. Debra Hall, 2019, Theatre Critic

It will move one to tears to watch this wonderful ensemble cast deliver a sensitive tale of hardship and endurance. The practitioners have applied techniques and the actor's practice have achieved much of what is difficult to convey, because what this play is doing is blurring the lines between reality and fiction, and as one watches - we acknowledge the truth of the matter, which begs the question: What is to be done?

**ENDS**

Review by theatre critic, Debra Hall, who attended The Belgrade Theatre on Wednesday 24 May at 7.30pm

References

ANRPR,The Belgrade Theatre The Beekeeper of Aleppo press release 25 April 2023

Hall, D, critic, A Thousand Splendid Suns Theatre review, Not Compulsory Blog. 09 May 2019 

https://notcompulsory.blogspot.com/2019/05/theatre-review-thousand-splendid-suns.html

Alrefaai, N. A Crisis in Syria: From the Constitution to the Streets, LSE , April 2023.

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/mec/2023/04/18/a-crisis-in-syria-from-the-constitution-to-the-streets/

The Beekeeper of Aleppo production images 25 April 2023

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