Palestinian Theatre in the West Bank

Since the 1990s, Palestinian theatrical activities in the West Bank have expanded exponentially. As well as local productions, Palestinian theatre-makers have presented their work to international audiences on a scale unprecedented in Palestinian history. This book explores the histories of the five major theatre companies currently working in the West Bank: Al-Kasaba Theatre, Ashtar Theatre, Al-Harah Theatre, The Freedom Theatre and Al-Rowwad. Taking the first intifada (1987-93) as his point of departure, and drawing on original fieldwork and interviews with Palestinian practitioners, Gabriel Varghese introduces the term ‘abject counterpublics’ to explore how theatre-makers contest Zionist discourse and Israeli state practices. By foregrounding Palestinian voices, and placing theories of abjection and counterpublic formation in conversation with each other, Varghese argues that theatre in the West Bank has been regulated by processes of colonial abjection and, yet, it is an important site for resisting Zionism's discourse of erasure and Israeli settler-colonialism and apartheid. Palestinian Theatre in the West Bank: Our Human Faces is the first major account of Palestinian theatre covering the last three decades.

“Varghese’s book meets these difficult tasks with aplomb and erudition, an impressive feat considering the book’s readability and its brisk 166 pages. … The book is thus a valuable contribution to a field and a cultural practice … . It gives an in-depth overview of theater in the West Bank while remaining accessible. The book will be useful to the study of contemporary global theater, to students and teachers of Palestinian culture, and to anyone interested … .” (Faisal Hamadah, Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 51 (1), 2022)“As a reader, I feel he delivers a scholarship not only on theatre but also, and most importantly, I argue, a scholarship on the lived experience in Palestine. His narrative becomes a counterpublic and the book challenges and disrupts the Zionist public sphere. If a researcher on theatrical productions turns into a political activist after reading this book, I would not be surprised.” (Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies, Vol. 19 (2), 2020)“Palestinian Theatre in the West Bank: Our Human Faces enriches existing studies on the subject of Palestine and Palestinian cultural resistance since the first Intifada by offering a much-needed perspective on the role that Palestinian theatre in the West Bank plays in this context. As such, it is an important study for anyone interested in the relationship between culture and politics in the Middle East.” (Isabelle Hesse, Contemporary Levant, August 19, 2020)“I recommend this book not only to the cohort of researchers and students interested in the subject but also to general public who want to learn about Palestinian theatre specifically or Palestine and the Palestinian cause generally.” (Tiran Manucharyan, Studies in Theatre and Performance, June 8, 2020)

Gabriel Varghese is an associate research fellow at the Kenyon Institute (Council for British Research in the Levant) in East Jerusalem. His research engages with anti-/post-/de-colonial theatre, performance and literature, and the questions they raise about social movements, dramaturgies of urban life, and regimes of gender, sexuality and race. He is also a playwright, theatre director, and co-artistic director of Sandpit Arts, an award-winning platform for producing film, music and performance events. He holds a PhD in Drama from the University of Exeter.