For a Palestinian is a deeply political love story. The play tells two parallel stories - of Bilal, a young man living in Britain who travels back to Palestine for a wedding, and of translator Wa'el Zuaiter.
Zuaiter was a Palestinian translator who was killed as part of Israel's "Operation Wrath of God" after the 1972 Munich massacre which saw two members of the Israeli Olympic team being killed by a Palestinian terrorist group.
For a Palestinian takes you back to the beginning of Zuaiter's life, telling you about his life in Italy and how he was in the process of translating One Thousand and One Nights from Arabic into Italian, for example. It also tells his love life as well as his political work.
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The play is deeply captivating and quickly engages the audience. I found it highly informative, a bit like a history lesson but so easy to follow. A pre-existing interest and knowledge of the Palestine-Israel conflict would be useful, but it isn't a must - maybe this play is what you need to spark the interest.
One of the highlights of the play is Bilal Hasna's outstanding acting. A co-writer of For a Palestinian, Hasna easily and constantly shifts between characters. With a simple scenography, he has the ability to tell lots with not much - you feel transported to where he is at that moment in time.
For me, as a foreigner, the play also felt as an exploration of what it is like and how it feels to be a migrant more broadly. Using the example of being a Palestinian living abroad, what is said often easily reflects how all migrants feel.
For a Palestinian is a meaningful, moving play that isn't afraid to explore a deeply political and highly sensitive topic such as the Palestine-Israel conflict. It is another great watch from the Bristol Old Vic.
To find out more about plays at the theatre, visit here.
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