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‘Nowhere’ – A bold take on how Arabs are dehumanised in reel and real life…

‘Nowhere’ – A bold take on how Arabs are dehumanised in reel and real life…

Well-known actor who appeared in such films as ‘United 93’ and ‘The Kite Runner’ presents his personal story in his writing debut produced by Fuel Theatre…

By Suman Bhuchar

KHALID ABDALLA is an engaging storyteller who invites us to join him in a space called nowhere so he can tell us his story.

He explains his decision: “Curious why someone would call something nowhere. Best space to describe a space I’ve reached as the world moves from crisis to crisis. This shared space is my nowhere ….this nowhere is safe but there are places where nowhere is safe.”

How do you belong when you feel nowhere is safe?

Like the Ancient Mariner, he feels compelled to share his narrative surrounded by equipment such as a projector screen, computer, audio, photographs as he amplifies his story.

Khalid Abdalla in ‘Nowhwere‘ ©Helen Murray

It’s a disjointed one which begins with his personal story which is described in the publicity as an, “anti-biography” – not a conventional approach to biography and merges it with the wider political story of Arabs, colonialism and dehumanisation in real and reel life.

Directed by Omar Elerian and performed by Abdalla, he begins on January 28, 2011 which marked the beginning of the Arab Spring.

He came from a family of political prisoners who fled Egypt and was born in Glasgow and is British Egyptian.

He describes Arab Colonialism and his own experience of being typecast in acting roles in a funny sequence. Or being singled out at airport while travelling to a premiere of his film ‘United 93’.

Abdalla shares a beautiful portrait of his grandad and his own relationship with painting and the audience are invited to make a self-portrait.

He talks about the relationship with a friend who later died of pancreatic cancer and weaves this with wider political events in the Arab Region.

The production, ‘Nowhere’, uses technology screen for images and projector screens which he throws the family photos on – and which are amplified and – later we see powerful images on an unending beach, rows and rows of children’s clothes illustrating children killed in Gaza in the recent conflict by Israel.

Abdalla is candid, unapologetic and intelligent connecting to our common humanity. As he makes his paper dove, his plea is for us to live together in peace. It is compelling…
ACV rating: ***** (Five stars out of five)

Listing

‘Nowhere’ by Khalid Abdalla is on from (October 1) to October 19, at Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN
https://fueltheatre.com/projects/nowhere/

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Written by Asian Culture Vulture