A Greek tragedy in Arabic. A one-woman comedy called Shallow Halal. A Palestinian circus piece on the Israeli occupation — this year’s Edinburgh Fringe festival, which opens on Friday, once again brings a slate of shows about the Middle East to the stage in the Scottish capital.
Fringe performers have always found a rich vein of inspiration in the region. But the shows, from terrorist tragedies to children’s oriental tales, for the most part have been presented by outsiders, portraying the Middle East either as a place of conflict or of wondrous, glittering, turbaned history.
But at this year’s Fringe, the Middle East will be seen in a different light, as artistes from the region take centre stage to present portrayals of their homelands.
The personal experiences of those who come from the region is the inspiration behind many of these performances.
Egyptian-Welsh comedian Omar Hamdi says: “I’m different to some comedians in that everything is based on my real life — not an edited caricature of my life, but my actual real life.
“But I don’t stop there. I use my life as a springboard to try to understand big issues such as ethnicity, politics, masculinity.”
He says it is his background that makes his show, In the Valleys of the Kings, stand out.
Original article by Dea Birkett
Continue reading at The National:
Edinburgh Fringe sets the stage for Middle East performers to tell authentic, personal stories
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