A BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO REVIEW

This past week, Her Campus Nottingham were kindly invited to watch ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’ at the Nottingham Playhouse. Following its sell out 2023 tour and rave reviews, I was rather excited to indulge into a story I had no previous knowledge on. And what a treat it was to watch such a spectacular, poignant play.

Based on Christy Lefteri’s novel of the same name, ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’ follows beekeeper Nuri and his wife Afra’s journey from their life in Aleppo, Syria to their escape to England. As a play, it is never over the top or overacted. Instead, we witness what feel like real stories with real people. Playwrights Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler make us aware that this story is not “an attempt to tell THE Syrian refugee story” and that the play must navigate “between two opposing cliches: the demonising myth of the refugee as somehow dangerous, and the kinder, but equally reductive myth of the refugee as an idealised victim”. And that is exactly what we are presented with; multiple stories that are rooted in truth, exposing us to the harrowing truth of refugee life and reality. 

Each and every performance is spectacular, and it was beyond special witnessing so much talent on the stage with Adam Sina, Farah Saffari and Joseph Long all providing tear-jerking performances. I also always have a bit of a soft spot for performances which take advantage of multiroling, which was masterfully done in this performance. I was especially impressed with the performances of Princess Khumalo, who provided a range of depth in each performance, particularly in her performance of Angeliki.

Set designer Ruby Pugh expertly crafts together the single set used throughout the play, with the surface acting as multiple locations. From being a shelter, beach, tent, and even a home across several different countries, Pugh’s mastery allows for all these locations to work seamlessly, never suspending belief. Pugh’s set also allows us to witness the stark difference between the coldness of England compared to the warmth and vibrancy of Aleppo pre-2011. It sheds light, and more importantly life into a city which is often portrayed as war-torn in the media. Another particularly effective scene in the play was the boat scene, in which the claustrophobia, fear, and ambivalence of the journey ahead is spread throughout the entire theatre as though we are there with them. It was gritty, raw and even hard to watch at times, which is exactly what director Anthony Almeida wants us to feel.

A moment I found particularly moving in the play is how cyclically it ended. At the beginning of the play, Nuri feared the sting of the bees, with Mustafa reassuring him to “trust in nature”, but by the end of the play, these words have a completely new meaning. He covers his eyes as he did at the beginning, though this time it feels as though he has accepted the sting and the pain he has gone through. In this bittersweet ending, there is a sense of hope surged back into the future for Nuri and Afra, as they can begin to heal. The final line of the play, “where there are bees, there is life and hope”, allowing the to find hope and beauty even in the smallest of things. 

Being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and cry along side them is a form of magic, and this play is a necessary one to learn from. I certainly would recommend anyone to watch this thought-provoking play- I’ve been unable to stop thinking about it since watching, and I hope to read the book soon.

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