Persbericht | 28 oktober première, Paradiso in Amsterdam: ‘The Horse of Jenin’

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Amsterdam, donderdag 10 oktober 2024 - Na een succesvolle en uitverkochte reeks try-outs tijdens het Fringe Festival gaat ‘The Horse of Jenin’ op 28 oktober in première in Paradiso in Amsterdam. De voorstelling – een onemanshow van Alaa Shehada - is een ode aan de kracht van verbeelding en de waarde van spelen in vrijheid. Internationaal spelerscollectief Troupe Courage is tegelijk fysiek volkstheater van het allerhoogste niveau en een feest van de verbeelding. Via stand-up comedy, maskers en storytelling vertelt Alaa zijn persoonlijke verhaal over opgroeien in Jenin en het leven in Palestina. Onder muzikale begeleiding van harpist Remy van Kesteren transformeert poptempel Paradiso in Amsterdam in een opgewekte tempel vol menselijkheid, humor en spelen op leven en dood. Kaarten voor de première zijn vanaf vrijdag 11 oktober 10.00 uur te koop via Paradiso. Na de première gaat de voorstelling op tournee in Nederland, de UK en de VS. waaronder ook, tijdens Under the Radar Festival, in het La MaMa theater in New York.

“So much misery, and then still funny and beautiful and a horse and dancing. Alaa can do all that.” - Raoul Heertje, stand-up comedian and writer

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An ode to the power of imagination
Alaa grew up in Jenin in The West Bank, Palestine. Since October 2023, Troupe Courage player Alaa's life has turned completely upside down. The Troupe decides it's high time his story gets on stage and decides to bring its fellow player to Amsterdam. Together they transform his story into a stirring piece of theater with a smile and a tear and a very big horse. It is directed by Katrien van Beurden and Thomas van Ouwerkerk. The Horse of Jenin is an ode to how play, humor and imagination are key in the human struggle to survive.

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“My imagination became the freedom in my life.

- Alaa Shehada, actor and comedian

 

Survival in The West Bank, Palestine
When a German artist came to the city in 2002 after a major Israeli invasion of Jenin, with the help of the locals, a meter-high horse was created from the debris of the devastation. The horse of Jenin; an Arab symbol of freedom that continues to recur in Alaa's life. In November 2023, when an Israeli bulldozer drives into the camp and takes the horse, Alaa wonders: what happened to the horse? Was it arrested? Did it go to court? Was he able to defend himself? In this solo, Alaa, together with the audience, builds a new horse, constructed from the
fragments of his memories, supplemented with a huge dose of humor and imagination.

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“A young man born in an occupied territory like Palestine, Alaa's performance powerfully portrays an honest portrait of his home. Without demonizing the enemy, without reveling in grief, without sentimentality, but with a raw and unabashed portrayal of his life, where stand-up comedy, storytelling and masks come together.”

- Saman Amini, comedian and writer

 

About Troupe Courage
Collective Troupe Courage is a group of international actors and musicians from the Netherlands, Palestine, the U.S., India, Lebanon and Iran, among others. Troupe Courage is considered high-level popular theater: on proverbial life and death, they bring the energy of survival to the stage. They invite a different view of the world, with imagination as playful resistance to the status quo. Their goal is not to tear things down, but to bring air to topics that are heavy and from that space to connect. Theater that is wacky, alive and moving, and where the joy of acting radiates from
splashes. The Horse of Jenin is the first solo in a solo series by the company.

About Alaa Shehada
Alaa Shehada graduated from “The Freedom Theatre” in Jenin. In 2011 Katrien
van Beurden directed a performance there and since then Alaa has been a regular player of the collective. In addition to Troupe Courage, he works as a doctor clown for RedNoses International and is the co-founder and director of “The Palestine Comedy Club. Among others, he worked with
renowned directors such as Amir Nizar Zubi, Mark Thomas and Di Trevis. In 2018, he received
the award for best performance at the Palestinian National Theatre Festival, received an award at the International Festival of Liberal Theatre in Jordan and received the title of best screenwriter for “London Jenin” in 2019.

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About Katrien van Beurden
Katrien van Beurden founder of Troupe Courage, spent years traveling the world from
war zones to jungles to modern cities and developed the Troupe Courage acting style. As an actress, she starred in the series Rampvlucht, among others, and next season she will play the lead role in the new series at Heldere Hemel, about the Enschede fireworks disaster. Last May she was awarded Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau for her work with Troupe Courage. Soon her own solo will premiere, about her battle with breast cancer.

 

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About Thomas van Ouwerkerk
Thomas van Ouwerkerk has been co-artistic director of Troupe Courage from the very beginning.
He also starred in “Horror” by Jakob Albhom, among others. At Family Flöz he has played since
2016 in shows such as “Teatro Delusio” and “FESTE,” with which he tours worldwide.
In addition, together with Jos Nargy and Sacha Muller, he forms the collective Thomas, Sacha and
Jos, with whom they have been interpreting the works of Toon Tellegen since 2013.

 

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Credits The Horse of Jenin:
Performer/Writer : Alaa Shehada | Director: Katrien van Beurden, Thomas van Ouwerkerk
| Stand-up comedy & script accompaniment: Sam Beale | Masks: Den Durand | Music: Remy
van Kesteren, Khalil Al Batran | Dramaturgy : Maarten Bos | Production support and business direction : Monique Bos | Publicity : Sarah Milo, Blyde | Campaign photo : Dario&Misja photography | Special thanks to: Voordekunst, crowdfunding donors, Jacqueline Kl