What happens when we dare to step into the life of the “other” with an open heart that sings a song of our shared humanity?

2024 Hollywood Fringe 6-time nominee and winner of the Best Solo Performance Award, Handala is a solo show written and performed by Myriam Ali-Ahmad.

Writer and performer Ali-Ahmad has interviewed Palestinians that have lived in their homeland, about life experiences that, to them, represent Palestine and highlight the beauty of its people, land and culture. Seeking to honor Palestinian life and voices, she has worked to compile these stories into a solo show with the direction of Valeria Muñoz Reyes.

Through the arts of drama, poetry, song and storytelling, Handala takes audiences on a journey in Palestine, sailing from one Palestinian to another, navigating the ups and downs of the land, through stories of love, life and resistance, and telling the real story of Palestine, in the eyes of its dignified people. A celebration of Palestine and Palestinian life, this tour de force is a call for action to preserve such beauty.

The show premiered at the 2024 Hollywood Fringe Festival where it had a successful sold-out run of 5 shows. Handala’s next moved to the 2024 Cannonball Festival and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, followed by the United Solo Festival in New York in October - the world’s largest solo show festival. Now, Handala makes its UK debut alongside the Women Writers’ Festival!

Ali-Ahmad says: “For so long, Palestinians specifically and Arabs in general have been reduced to either victims or terrorists, a narrative that has been reinforced by the horrors in Gaza and the West Bank. We want to challenge and shift this narrative all while introducing the public to the rich and beautiful culture and people of Palestine, reminding us what we are fighting for. In and of itself, this project is an act of resistance against cultural erasure. Against those who wish to destroy our stories and our history.”