TAHA @ Summerhall

Amer Hlehel delivers a one-man homage to poet Taha Muhammad Ali's life and work; telling the remarkable story of exile, lost nationhood and patient perseverance that characterised the poet’s life, and influenced the poetry that would inspire readers in Palestine and around the world.   

Hlehel’s first-person narrative performance is charged with deep emotion from the start. His commanding presence on the stage keeps the audience hanging on to every word, and if his booming energy is a little overwhelming, it is nonetheless truly convincing. Hlehel conveys the sheer panic and deep pain of the bombardment of Ali’s village during the Arab-Israeli war, which forced the family to flee the country and confront the pain of displacement and lost identity. Exerpts from Ali’s poetry are carefully selected and incorporated into the performance with subtlety and skill, and Hlehel recites these poems in Arabic and English, with translations projected onto the wall. It is not necessary to be familiar with the poet’s work in order to feel the powerful resonance of his simple but affecting verses.

TAHA focuses more thoroughly on the poet’s early life than his later years, but Hlehel still manages to capture some tender and funny moments as the poet builds a life for himself and his family, and finds an international audience for his work. All in all, TAHA is a memorable and moving celebration of a powerful voice in the ongoing struggle for sovereignty, dignity and freedom in Palestine.