Theatre Review: The Beekeeper of Aleppo, Birmingham Rep
AD: This Press Night Review refers to the 2023 Production of The Beekeeper of Aleppo at the Birmingham Rep*
Christy Leferi’s harrowing refugee novel is a powerful and emotional read (you can read my review of the book in my Autumn Reads 2021 round-up) so I was interested to see how it would translate to the stage.
With the refugee crisis and migration regular topics on the news, it is an apt and timely production. This is a sensitive and balanced adaptation by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler, never exploitative but at the same time refusing to water down the horrors to placate an audience. It is meant to make the audience feel uncomfortable. And yet there are still moments of levity, light moments sprinkled throughout.
The story follows beekeeper Nuri (Alfred Clay) and his wife Afra (played at this Press Night performance by Daphne Kouma). Life is good in Aleppo. But the war changes everything. Their son Sami is killed by a bomb as he plays. Their apiaries are burned to the ground. Nuri’s cousin Mustafa flees to England, and eventually Nuri persuades Afra to follow, to take the long and complicated journey across Europe and across the sea. They are at the mercy of smugglers and criminals, but they also meet charitable strangers and charming fellow refugees. They witness the worst and the best of humanity. Once they reach English shores, they do not immediately find the sanctuary they seek, instead facing hostility, placed in overcrowded accommodation and thwarted by paperwork and red tape.
It is devastatingly raw at times; a shocking depiction of the plight of those fleeing war and persecution. But it is about triumph over adversity, and about relationships and love. And it tells of a very real, human, story, not a political one. It is very easy to see news stories and only see one point of view; the play – and the book before it – offers the experience from the refugee’s perspective. Leferi actually spent two summers in refugee camps in Athens, speaking to those displaced from their homes and collating their true life experiences.
Where flowers bloom, there is life and hope.
This is a fast-moving and inventive production, directed by Miranda Cromwell. The set by Ruby Pugh is clever, and equally effective as a dusty bee farm in Aleppo, a city park in Greece, a doctors surgery or a shabby bed & breakfast in England. Video projections on drape-covered walls are used to depict the perilous sea crossing, and the ruined city of Aleppo. It’s a non-linear narrative, meaning that we see Nuri and Afra living in England in the first scene, but through a serious of heartrending stories told to an unseen Home Office official we see the events which force Nuri and Afra to flee their homeland.
Alfred Clay is magnificent in the role of Nuri, portraying him as desperate and emotionally unavailable, which devastates Afra. He is a bereaved father, and feels that he has failed as a husband, unable to make everything okay and return to their previous harmonious existence. His dialogue is often rapid and poetic, a product of his traumatised mind. Daphne Kouma is superb as Afra, an accomplished painter who lost her sight after suffering unspeakable trauma.
The rest of the small ensemble take on multiple roles, from smugglers to aid workers, to other lost souls with stories to share. Joseph Long as Mustafa/Moroccan Man stands out, as does Nadia Williams as Angeliki/Lucy Fisher.
The timeline changes are aided by clever visuals and expert sound design by Ravi Deepres and Tingying Dong, and atmospheric lighting by Ben Ormerod. The carefully curated soundtrack by Elaha Soroor suits the mood. The beehive metaphor is lightly used, but never overplayed. Repetitive choreography of small movements represent the monotonous passing of time.
You cannot fail to be moved by this thought-provoking play, and the emotional performances from the cast. Nuri and Afra are fictional, but their story is all too true. This adaptation is flawlessly executed.
**The show contains themes of violence, loss of a child, mental illness, war, murder, sexual abuse and forced migration. It also contains flashing lights and sudden loud noises**
The Beekeeper of Aleppo is at Birmingham Rep until Saturday 17th June – you can book your tickets here. It continues its UK Tour in Plymouth and Guildford, full tour dates here.
Photo Credits: Manuel Harlan
*Why is this post marked AD? I was invited to attend Press Night in exchange for an honest review. You can trust that I will always be honest and truthful on A Brummie Home and Abroad, and being an invited guest will not influence my opinion in any way.
