Disclaimer: We received free tickets for the purpose of thhis review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.
The Beekeeper of Aleppo is an award-winning novel by Christy Lefteri which has been adapted for the stage by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler. The book has been sitting on my pile of books to-read for a good while so an invitation to opening night at The Grand Theatre, Blackpool gave me the perfect opportunity to finally find out what the story is about.
At the heart of the story is beekeeper Nuri (Adam Sina) and his wife Afra (Farah Saffari) who live in the beautiful city of Aleppo and we discover how their world is turned upside down by the Syrian civil war. Forced to flee their home, the book tells the story of how two ordinary Syrians become refugees, making a traumatic journey through Turkey and Greece before finally reaching England, where they seek asylum from the war that has devastated their country.
The narrative is presented in quite a fragmented way, moving between their past lives in Syria and their new lives in the UK. This works brilliantly, underscoring just how broken the lives of Nuri and Afra have become through the effects of war and, in particular, their deep personal loss. Many of the horrors they encounter are only hinted at rather than fully explained and it is often what is left unsaid that paints the bigger picture.
The story puts a human face onto the often faceless “problem” of refugees. By seeing the story of just one couple we can begin to understand what the real human cost is of the refugee crisis. Whilst the play is quite emotional and moving, there are plenty of lighter moments too, especially when Joseph Long, who plays Nuri’s cousin Mustafa takes to the stage.
The symbolism of bees hums gently beneath the surface from beginning to end. The ability of bees to survive, how they work as a community and also hope. At the end of the story Nuri is able to finally be reunited with his cousin who has already made the journey and established a new apiary in his new home in Yorkshire.
Visually, the production achieves a remarkable amount with a deceptively simple set. The shifting landscape transforms effortlessly from the shores of dangerous crossings to the family home in Aleppo and later to their temporary accommodation in England. Clever use of projection, lighting and sound helps transport the audience between locations, with crashing waves and subtle atmospheric effects creating a powerful sense of place.
You cannot fail to be moved by this thought-provoking play, and the emotional performances from the cast and whether you’re familiar with the story or not it’s definitely a show worth seeing – after seeing it last night the book is now firmly at the top of my to-read pile!
The Beekeeper of Aleppo is at The Grand Theatre until Saturday 30th May with tickets starting at £18. For more information or to book tickets visit their website here
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