Youth throwing stones, crying mothers, missiles and traumatized children; When Palestine is in the news, this is usually what we see. But what do we really know about young Palestinians?

During the impressive performance ‘Next to Normal – Palestinian Stories Untold’, four young Palestinian actors will take you to their country. Using old and recent stories, they create a personal and politically loaded performance. What do young Palestinians worry about, what makes them happy, who are their heroes and what are their stories?

About the makers

The performance ‘Next to Normal – Palestinian Stories Untold’ was created by Rabi Hanani, Jasmin Shlalda, Saji Fuad and Sezar Obead. The first three live and work on the West Bank and are connected to the Ashtar Theatre in Ramallah. Furthermore, they work for different theatre groups. Sezar Obead lives in Ibilin and studies Community and Educational Drama and Theatre at Western Galilee College in Akko (Israel).

The performance is directed by Arjen Barel and Soufiane Moussouli. Arjen Barel has been educated as a dramatist, but in the past he has proven himself a theatre marketer, business leader and programmer / artistic director of various festivals, including the International Storytelling Festival Amsterdam, which he founded in 2008 with Marlies ter Haar.

Soufiane Moussouli is a story teller, actor and coach. He is an autodidact, but learned a lot about making theatre at youth theatre company DeGasten (then Jong Rast) and Peter Faber. He is one of the rising stars in the storytelling theatre, with  performances like ‘Five Questions you always wanted to ask a terrorist’, ‘Marok(k)anen huilen niet’ (Maroccans don’t cry) en ‘Gelukzoeker’ (The luck seeker).

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