Articles

The Siege - uncomfortable, heartbreaking, brilliant!

"Whoever believes that theatre is a dead art form needs to see The Siege.” Joe Gill, Middle East Eye

The Siege by Palestinian The Freedom Theatre has received exceptional reviews during the first part of its UK tour, which included a sold-out run at the Battersea Arts Centre in London.

"One would struggle to find a more authentic piece of theatre, or indeed one that speaks to such a brutally urgent case of injustice” stated The Public Reviews, while The Guardian wrote: "It develops into an unexpectedly compelling theatrical experience with a rough and ready energy, and, in the very act of its telling, speaks for the voiceless and forgotten.” Read more praise for The Siege here.

The UK tour is organised by The Freedom Theatre UK Friends, a network of over 300 people in Britain who are engaged in the theatre’s activities. The board of The Freedom Theatre UK Friends states: "We witness The Siege as a success, not only as a superb piece of modern stage craft but in engaging with the audience in a discussion that goes right to the heart of our culture, recognising the humanity of our times and resisting the jingoist fears of mainstream media. The Freedom Theatre was born out of a struggle for dignity and searching opportunities for free and open expressions of peace. The UK tour of The Siege gives us hope that we can create further opportunities for a dialogue of peace and support, building international bonds of understanding.

This has been done in the writing and staging of The Siege, in the Q&A sessions after each performance, and in the ongoing commitment to build links with institutions and individuals in the UK."

Still to come during the UK tour of The Siege:
THE HUB (Leeds) 26th May
ST MARY IN THE CASTLE (Hastings) 28th May
THE MERLIN (Frome) 30th May
The REP (Birmingham) 4th–6th June
NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE (Nottingham) 10th–11th June
THE CUT (Halesworth) 13th June
THE TRON (Glasgow) 17th–20th June

Follow the tour:
Twitter: @Freedom_Theatre, #TheSiege
www.facebook.com/thefreedomtheatre
www.thefreedomtheatre/the-siege

For interviews: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Notes to editors:

  1. The Siege is an artistic reflection on a crucial event in recent Palestinian history, the Israeli army’s 39-day siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem during the height of the second Intifada. While the dramatic scenes of the 2002 siege made headlines worldwide, the fighters, clergy and civilians trapped inside the church were not heard. With The Siege, The Freedom Theatre tells the story from the perspective of some of the people who lived through those fateful 39 days.
    Read more about the play.
  2. The Siege gained national media attention in the UK ahead of the tour and sparked discussion, with prominent artists such as Mark Rylance, Samuel West, Miriam Margolyes, Mark Wright, Caryl Churchill, Howard Brenton, Ken Loach and Mark Thomas showing support for The Freedom Theatre and freedom of expression for Palestinian artists generally.
    Read the statement by Artists for Palestine UK here.
  3. The Freedom Theatre in Jenin Refugee Camp, occupied Palestine, is committed to using the arts as a catalyst for social change by creating a vibrant cultural community in the northern West Bank. The Freedom Theatre offers a unique programme of activities in performing arts and multimedia, including a three-year professional theatre school, community theatre, filmmaking, photography and creative writing. The activities serve many thousands of children, youth and adults across Palestine, with a focus on the Jenin area.

 
 
The Freedom Theatre is thankful to the EU, the British Council, The Roddick Foundation, Steps Beyond - European Cultural Foundation, The Arab British Centre, Arts Council England and The Lipman-Miliband Trust, whose support has made the production and UK tour of The Siege possible.