THE HORSE OF JENIN, written and performed by Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada, tells a universal story of resilience and imagination. This show combines storytelling, mask and stand-up comedy to explore the everyday life of a boy growing up in Jenin in Occupied Palestine who, like every child in the world, just wants to play and have fun.
Following a major invasion in 2002, a German artist travelled to the city to create an artwork with the kids of Jenin. They built a horse, five-metres tall, out of metal and debris from the invasion. The horse is an Arabic symbol of freedom, so the people of Jenin placed this statue in the centre of the city where it stood for 20 years to represent their hope and resistance. In October 2023, an Israeli army bulldozer entered the camp and the horse was ripped from its place and driven away.
In this solo show, Shehada wonders what happened to the Horse of Jenin and with a powerful mix of imagination and comedy, he builds a new horse from the fragments of his memories and his hopes for the future.
Alaa Shehada (1991) is an actor and comedian from Palestine. He studied at The Freedom Theatre Acting School in Jenin (West Bank), a company nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2024. He is co-founder of Palestine Comedy Club, a core member of Troupe Courage in Amsterdam, and a “Doctor-Clown” with Red Noses International.
Troupe Courage (founded by Katrien van Beurden) is internationally renowned as an innovator of Commedia dell'Arte. The troupe consists of actors and musicians from countries including the Netherlands, Palestine, the United States, Lebanon and Spain. With their unique form of actor theater, they create high-quality folk theater. On an empty stage, with only a suitcase full of masks and a carpet, they transform into archetypes that everyone recognizes. They explore complex themes and share stories about how people try to live and survive in today's world through glorious failure, ingenuity, and vulnerability. The troupe travels the world, putting on performances and training actors in this pure form of theater. There, they bring the energy of survival to the stage. With their playful resistance, they want to create breathing space or simply play a game with as many people as possible from all walks of life.