Find out how critics have been reacting to Alaa Shehada and Sam Beale’s play, running at the theatre until the 11th November.
Broadway World: “Throughout his narrative, it is impressive to see the production’s ability to inform without shoehorning in a political lesson – an immediate sign of an assured team. While much of the audience will arrive with some understanding of the atrocities in the Middle East and the consequences of occupation, the show offers a more intimate perspective on the everyday realities behind the headlines.”
The Stage: “Palestinian performer Alaa Shehada skilfully blends comedy and political commentary in this engaging, high-energy monologue.”
The Arts Desk: ” Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada returns with another one-man show.”
Time Out: “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the subject of Palestine and its relationship with Israel is quite a contentious topic. I think Shehada is well aware that he’s liable to attract a pro-Palestine audience and for that reason he doesn’t lean too hard into tales of occupation misery. In a largely droll 90 minutes, it’s the flashes that are the most telling: the anger and humiliation he feels at the Israeli checkpoint, where teenage soldiers who can’t speak Arabic treat the transiting Palestinians like suspicious packages; some devastating late kickers about the actions of illegal Israeli settlers.”
Everything Theatre: “The realism, the urgency, the dream of freedom (manifest through the dreams of an airport, which in itself is a rich image for both poignancy and comedy throughout), make The Bridge a production that demands to be seen, an absolute must in a world where both engaging with the oppression experienced around the world, and retaining our joy and hope for a better future are so, so important.”
London Theatre.co.uk: “Shehada, a graduate of The Freedom Theatre Activity School in Jenin Refugee Camp, is a master at working the audience, but sometimes his brilliant punchlines are lost when delivered to the opposite side of the stage. He’s not helped by Julius Pollux Rothlaender’s sound design of music, air conditioning and crowds, which adds atmosphere but can be a distraction.”
The Reviews Hub: “Alaa’s jerry can leaks throughout his journey: a fitting metaphor, perhaps, for the slow, irreversible evaporation of hope the journey entails. Those inclined to sympathy for the Palestinian cause are likely to find their beliefs reinforced here, but as a meditation on what constitutes a hero’s journey, it has wider appeal.”
WhatsOnStage : “The Bridge is a fast-paced, funny and captivating production that astutely connects the gap between warm comedy and sobering reality.”
All That Dazzles: “Proving that laughter, joy, and a sorrowful pause for thought can exist alongside one another, The Bridge takes on imperialist past, occupational presents, and the concerns of what future could be on the horizon with a sense of hope and a sense of humour.”
Theatre & Tonic: “Seeing ‘The Bridge’ will give you a deeper understanding of just one of the many (many) obstacles that Palestinians face to leave the country, and the UK’s undeniable role in creating these circumstances. Throughout the performance, quotes from UK officials in the early 20th century are used from the conversations that created the bridge and the present borders. They are sickening displays of the blasé colonialism and the British superiority complex that created the present-day disaster.”
London Theatre 1: “The sightlines weren’t always perfect depending on where you were sat because of pillars in the way of projections on the back wall. Still, if anything, a show like this puts many problems of our own into perspective. An absorbing and energetic performance that held my attention throughout.”
The Bridge is playing at the Bush Theatre until the 11th November.