Ariadne in collaboration with Ashtar Theatre in Palestine present:
The Syrian Monologues
on World Refugee Day - Monday 20 June 2016, 7.30pm at Temple Church
“We were crying, laughing and calling to God to guide our way to reach safe to our children.”
Joining together around the world to give voice to those whose voices are kept quiet.
A curated evening of monologues from interviews with Syrian refugees, whose stories we listened to at all stages of their desperate journeys leaving their country. Following on from the renowned Gaza Monologues in 2011, we bring the dreadful statistics to fiercely human life. Powerful accounts of escaping violence and persecution will be read by a selection of actors and activists.
With concurrent events taking place on World Refugee Day in Ireland, Germany, Brazil, Jordan, France, Palestine, Sri Lanka and the United States (and more to come), we represent the UK on a day of solidarity for the Syrian refugees.
“When the bombing stopped we started to laugh at the way we had jumped around the apartment in panic with each bomb. My young niece started to play the role of the journalist, asking us questions and finishing with the comment: ‘Charming, despite your fear and pain, you were charming.’”
Featuring new response pieces by Sara Pascoe, April de Angelis, Hannah Khalil, Barney Norris, Hassan Abdulrazzak, Caitlin Shannon, Ghalia Kabbani and Malu Halasa.
Starring Hattie Morahan, Christopher Adlington, Pinar Ogun, Lily Bevan, Jack Tarlton and Jordan Metcalfe.
Directed by Susannah Tresilian.
PHOTO ABOVE: Iman Aoun of Ashtar Theatre (c) with four of the women who gave their monologues, Jordan refugee camp in 2016
We premiered The Syrian Monologues at Neat16 Festival of European Theatre at the Nottingham Playhouse on Wednesday 25 May:
PHOTO: the actors from the Neat Ensemble company of actors, rehearsing for The Syrian Monologues at Nottingham Playhouse
L-R: Rob Goll, Karl Haynes, Shelley Draper, Hazel Ellerby and Rebecca d'Souza
VIDEO: Iman Aoun's work with the Syrian refugees in Jordan, which led to the writing of The Syrian Monologues (please note the video is in Arabic)
With many thanks to the support of Camilla ter Haar, Dominic Campbell, Rachel McCall, Day Macaskill and all the Ariadne sisters.