Theatre for Palestine: The Horse of Jenin

• Date: 26 September
• Time: 20:15 - 21:30
• Location: Theater aan het Spui, Zaal 2

The Horse of Jenin, written and performed by Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada, tells a universal story. It is about a boy growing up in Jenin who, like any child in the world, simply wants to play and have fun. It is a story about the resilience that imagination brings.

In April 2002, a large invasion took place in Jenin. In the aftermath, a German artist came by to hold an art workshop. After four weeks of working with Palestinians, the result was a 5-meter-high horse, built from metal scraps and rubble from the bombings. They paraded the horse through the city, and everyone felt proud—people felt lifted up by it.

The horse is an Arab symbol of freedom, but this horse also became a symbol of peaceful resistance and resilience. In November 2023, however, an Israeli bulldozer entered the camp and removed the horse.

In the performance, Alaa wonders: what happened to the horse? Was it arrested? Did it go to court? Could it defend itself? Was it put in prison?

With this solo, Alaa builds a new horse: constructed from the fragments of his memories, infused with a large dose of humor and imagination. A theatrical symbol of resistance and imagination.

Theater for Palestine
This performance is part of a weekend-long program at Theater aan het Spui centered on Palestine. We give the stage to the voices and stories of Palestinian (and Dutch) theater makers, using theater as a space for solidarity, humanity, and hope.

All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated, in collaboration with the creators, to the Palestinian Arts and Culture Solidarity Collective.

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