The Bridge @ Assembly Roxy
The Bridge is a moving insight into the history and practicalities of an onerous journey attempted by hundreds of Palestinians every day
Size 44 flip flops, Marlboro reds and crunchy wafer biscuits; Alaa Shehada's extended family requests an eclectic list of gifts from the Palestinian homeland. They live in Jordan – it shouldn’t be too long of a journey. But there is only one route out of the occupied West Bank for Palestinians: the Al-Karameh Bridge.
Shehada is a natural storyteller, his eyes glittering as he narrates. He immerses us in the fly-ridden, sweaty haze of taxis and buses, saddled with suitcases and a slew of identity documents, with the knowledge that the Israeli checkpoint can close on a whim looming over us at all times. The performance is personal, but Shehada imbues the story with the vibrancy of collective Palestinian identity, through his transformation into an assortment of characters that he meets on the journey. An enterprising taxi driver shimmies his shoulders to the radio as he precariously spins the wheel with one hand. A swaggering smuggler advises us on the best ways to transport contraband tobacco (under your abaya, apparently). And an elderly woman reminds us that Palestine did once have an airport, for two years, before the Israeli occupation bulldozed it. Shehada is tactful in his balance of humour with scrutiny of the searing injustice of the Israeli occupation.
The most symbolic item Shehada must take to his family is a giant container of olive oil, pressed on their land in Jenin. Crossing Al-Karameh is not just an impressive feat of endurance. Shehada is carrying the homeland to those unable to return, bridging the gap between home and the diaspora, and bringing his audience closer to it in this touching performance.
The Bridge, Assembly Roxy (Upstairs), until 16 Aug, 7.40 pm, £18.50/£17.50