The Bridge at the Bush Theatre: a Palestinian comedy with fear underneath
Alaa Shehada's 80-minute solo show at the Bush Theatre mixes crowd-work comedy with the tension of occupation, and it closes on Wednesday 11 November.
A solo show that begins with a twinkle and ends somewhere much heavier: that is how Everything Theatre describes The Bridge, now playing at the Bush Theatre. The review gives it a rating of Excellent.
The play is written by and stars Alaa Shehada. It runs for 80 minutes and, according to Everything Theatre, moves between scripted material and improvised moments with the feel of stand-up.
Comedy as resistance
The reviewer praises Shehada's instinct for crowd-work, calling it “a joy to watch and participate in”, and finds his physical comedy charming. Much of the production, the review says, rests on his comic timing.
The real force of the piece, according to Everything Theatre, is how quickly it flips from levity into fear and the prospect of looming tragedy. The central idea is joy and culturally specific humour as a form of personal resistance against the shadow of Israel's occupation. The review reads the play as one about a human joy that cannot be quelled, and about resilience grown from solidarity.
The airport, a recurring image tied to the dream of freedom, is singled out as rich for both poignancy and comedy.
Light, tension and the unsaid
Lily Dawford's lighting design gets particular credit. Everything Theatre calls it fluid and dynamic, able to say a lot with restrained tonal gestures. Blue can mean freedom, water, sky or even a night club, yet a fairly warm blue also becomes a symbol of oppression and coldness.
The review notes that the worst parts are often left unsaid, with even the subtlest allusions to Israel building a pervasive subtext of fear that sits alongside the comedy.
The caveats
It is not an unqualified rave. The reviewer finds Sam Beale's direction precise in many places, but thinks the show needs a more ruthless hand with what it calls dramaturgical fat. Some scenes run on too long, Shehada sometimes pushes jokes too far (especially scripted ones), and the storytelling can slip. With tighter editing, the review suggests, it could be truly flawless.
There is also a note about programming. Everything Theatre says the Bush is excellent at staging stories steeped in other cultures, often with strong political messages, but sees a certain dramaturgical monotony emerging. It compares the structure of The Bridge to The Darkling: one actor narrates an entire story, starting as a child in happier days and switching between side characters. The reviewer stresses this is not a criticism of either show individually, and that The Bridge was independently devised.
The verdict is that its realism, urgency and dream of freedom make it a production that “demands to be seen”.
Who is behind it
- Written by Alaa Shehada
- Co-written and directed by Sam Beale
- Movement director: Micaela Miranda
- Composer and sound designer: Julius Pollux Rothlaender
- Lighting design: Lily Dawford
- Produced by Charlotte Knowles for Palestine Comedy Club (PalCom)
Know before you go
- Where: Bush Theatre
- Until: Wednesday 11 November
- Running time: 80 minutes
Sources: Everything Theatre
