The Beekeeper of Aleppo: A Story of Love and Survival

Written by Amelia Cropley

Whilst coming to the end of its showing at Nottingham Playhouse, the stage production of The Beekeeper of Aleppo has blessed Nottingham audiences for the majority of February before setting sail to other theatres around the country. As the originator of the production in the 2023 World Premiere 2023 and this re-mount, The Literary Lounge is honoured to have witnessed this incredibly human performance in Nottingham Playhouse’s auditorium, which not only brought this production to audience members of any location, but built and crafted everything on the stage before us.

Based on Christy Lefteri’s best selling novel, The Beekeeper of Aleppo, this story follows a couple’s journey to England from their home in a Syrian city, Aleppo, as they search for asylum. In such a harrowing tale, Nuri and Afra risk their lives leaving their home and everything they’ve known after war and indestructible damage, putting them on a treacherous journey to England, and enduring the many hardships which those seeking asylum face on the way.

This story is not light, it is a story one must watch with the utmost understanding and empathy. I, at often times, realised my hand was on my chest, mouth mirroring my astonishment of the trials and tribulations Nuri and Afra had to take in order to reunite with their family member, Mustafa, in England. And yet, in the darkest of scenes often humour sparked those bright moments of hope, humanity and tenderness.

Adam Sina and Farah Saffari play a wonderful Nuri and Afra together, a once happy couple we see in Syria who, upon their journey together slowly move inwards, separately into themselves, as they navigate each hard step being harder than the last, contradiction of those they hope might help them and feeling the other loose their sense of identity. Sina is incredible as the centrepiece of this story; as the person taking charge of getting his wife and a lost boy, Muhammad, across to England and battling his current enduring struggles and the trauma he leaves Syria with, leaving him with PTSD like symptoms alluded to throughout the performance. Alongside him, Saffari plays a wonderful Afra, who gradually looses her sight on their journey due to trauma and slowly looses sense of not only her surroundings, but herself in such a harsh world.

But this small yet incredibly talented cast, all came together to produce some fantastic roles. Joseph Long playing Nuri’s cousin whom he follows to England, Mustafa, depicts another life disrupted by war and destruction and how two caring beekeepers who care of pollination, the environment of their bees and quality of honey, could be hit with so much apathetic violence. The use of multi-rolling in this performance too was acute. For example, when reaching England, Princess Khumalo in the role of a social worker, tries to offer solace that the NHS can help them, then assumes the role of the NHS receptionist who refuses to allow Afra to be seen despite providing information on their situation from a social worker. This simple yet effective use of multi-rolling presents the baffling contradiction they must battle head on as well as not being trusted or even heard by those they believe could help.

Finally, Dona Atallah plays Nuri’s seven-year-old friend he meets along the way. A representation of found family, kindness and strength in unity, their relationship is both heartbreakingly beautiful and sad, but Atallah moves hearts by the childlike wonder, even optimism, of death of destruction. All in all, this is not a story of lightheartedness, but one emotionally intense depiction of war, displacement and trauma. As Nuri and Afra journe across borders in stark lighting, haunting sounds and minimal set pieces of a rubble, dust and lost remains.

This production certainly does not shy away from the psychological trauma this couple, and all suffering characters endure, particularly in Afra’s blindness and Nuri’s overwhelming guilt and grief. Making this production a powerful and emotionally demanding experience. Sat in row C, I felt almost as if sat on the stage myself. As lighting design of treacherous seas or police flashlights expanded the stage to include the audience, that alongside the characters wearing high street shop clothing, highlighted that these events could be happening to any one of us. Igniting compassion, empathy and unity. It is important to note that the themes of war, trauma, assault and loss are all prominent, however delivered with considerate sensitivity.

Whilst this production makes its way around the country on tour, The Literary Lounge is honoured to have seen this adapted story come to life in the theatre of its producing partner, The Nottingham Playhouse, where it felt an ode to the Playhouse’s hard work in creating, producing and celebrating great theatre.

All content is original to The Literary Lounge.

In-article images credited to Manuel Harlan. No changes were made to these images. 

Feature Image provided by Nottingham Playhouse. No changes were made to this image.

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