Nabil Al-Raee & unavezenlavida
Trapped in Hope
Al-Aroub refugee camp, MadridThose who live under occupation do not have the privilege of being without hope. «Trapped in Hope» is an urgent and personal account from a Palestinian perspective. Nabil Al-Raee speaks about everyday life under occupation and about theatre as a practice of non-violent resistance. The piece raises questions of power and who gets to define reality: who speaks, who is heard, and who decides what remains? Developed with the Spanish collective unavezenlavida, it challenges dominant narratives – against silence and forgetting.
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Those who live under occupation do not have the privilege of being without hope. Hope is both a necessity and a burden – a paradox reflected in the title of this documentary theatre piece. Nabil Al-Raee is on stage – an artist who lives in the Al-Aroub refugee camp in the West Bank and was for many years artistic director of the Freedom Theatre in Jenin. He speaks from his own biography and from an artistic practice that understands theatre as a space of resistance.
«Trapped in Hope» engages with the ongoing pursuit of self-determination for the Palestinian people and raises central questions: Who is allowed to speak? Who is heard? And who has the power to write history? It creates a dense, personal and political narrative space rooted in an experience that is still far too rarely heard.
Developed together with Miguel Oyarzun and Juan Ayala from the Spanish collective unavezenlavida, the piece brings a Palestinian theatremaker into an encounter with an international audience. At the centre is a shared presence – a space for listening and imagining other futures beyond violence, sustained by the power of theatre.
Dates and Tickets
shows from today- Sa 22.08. 19:00 - 20:20 CHF 40.–/20.–
- Su 23.08. 19:30 - 20:50 CHF 40.–/20.–
- Mo 24.08. 19:00 - 20:20 CHF 40.–/20.–
Support programme
Post-performance talks
after all performances
Stammtisch
Theater zwischen Widerstand und Verständigung
Tue 18.8., 20.00
Artistic direction and cast
| Text | Nabil Al-Raee, Juan Ayala, Miguel Oyarzun |
|---|---|
| Performance | Nabil Al-Raee |
| Regie | Juan Ayala, Miguel Oyarzun |
| Dramaturgie | Yasmeen Audisho Ghrawi |
| Bühnenbild, Kostüm & Projektionen | Darina Jabr |
| Lichtdesign | Valentín Álvarez |
| Musik | Nabil Al-Raee |
| Sounddesign | Kyria Libia |
| Produktion | unavezenlavida |
| Distribution | unavezenlavida, Elena Martínez |
| Übersetzung | Dòra Kapusta |
| Foto | Laura Ortega |
Production
| Produktion | Teatro del Barrio, unavezenlavida |
|---|---|
| Zusammenarbeit | Freedom Theatre |
| Unterstützung | NAEM Castillo Palacio de Magalia, TEJA Red de Espacios Culturales en Apoyo a Situaciones de Emergencia, La Casa Encendida |
| Kooperation | La Casa Encendida |
| Premiere | November 2025, Madrid |
Süd
Site map
Documentary theatre. Theatre as resistance. Narratives & encounters
Swiss Première. Nominated for the ZKB Patronage Prize
Duration
80 min.
Language
Arabic, English, German
Surtitles
German, English
Age
16 years plus
An inclusive event
Please note
An induction loop system cannot be provided for this performance.