Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until Saturday 20th May 2023
Reviewed by Steph Lott
5*****
Nuri is a beekeeper and his wife, Afra, is an artist. They live a simple but rich life in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo until all they care for is destroyed by war and they are forced to escape. This is the story of their journey through a broken world, through Turkey and Greece until they reach the UK.
Christy Lefteri ’s bestseller is a novel depicting a story of a terrible journey, love and loss. The novel has now been adapted for the stage by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler and is directed by Miranda Cromwell.
Due to illness the role of Nuri was played by Aram Mardourian, and he gave an astonishing performance. The dialogue is rapid and expressive; Aram did an excellent job in pacing and articulating it so well that the audience didn’t miss a word.
Afra, played by Roxy Faridany, has lost her sight. Roxy gives a powerful performance as the grieving mother, suffering from shock, and totally dependent on her husband as she learns to cope with her disability and their situation.
Mention must be made of some of the other standout performances. This talented cast have to perform multiple roles. Joseph Long gave an extraordinary performance as Mustafa and the Moroccan Man, and Elham Mahyoub as Mohamed/Sami was impressive.
Ruby Pugh’s set is striking. There are wide skies, broken walls and mounds of sand which engulf furniture. The play is set in many different locations and the design of the set enables the story to move between them seamlessly. I also loved the lighting by Ben Ormerod, and the use of images thrown up on the backdrop, designed by Ravi Deepres. There is also a breath-taking depiction of what it must be like to be in a dinghy during a storm at sea.
I couldn’t recommend this production more highly. It’s not only the harrowing story of the journey of two refugees escaping war-torn Syria and the people they meet along the way. It’s also the story of how they confront their unspeakable loss and lose and find each other again.
Poignant, powerful, and compassionate, it’s impossible not to be moved by this performance of a story of loss, love, resilience and hope.