This delicate, deeply affecting piece is an introduction to the life and work of the Palestinian poet Taha Muhammad Ali (1931-2011), written and performed by Amer Hlehel. Its staged with a charged simplicity by Amir Nizar Zuabi who has translated this English-language version of the one-man show. For 75 minutes, with no props other than a bench and a briefcase, Hlehel stumbles round a dimly lit yellow rectangle and pulls us into the story of how this humble, engaging man evolved into one of the most celebrated Palestinian writers of the past half-century against all the odds.Its a tale of loss, borne with resilience, hope and humour.
Taha was born in the Galilean village of Saffuriyya, near Nazareth. His father, a powerful personality with a talent for presiding over salons, suffered from polio and Taha left school after just four years to support the struggling family with his precocious business schemes such as selling eggs in Haifa and opening a kiosk for cigarettes and chocolate.At the age of 17, he was forced to flee to Lebanon with his family after their village came under heavy bombardment during the Arab-Israeli War of 1948.
After nine months, they slipped back through the forests across the disputed border and there is a quietly devastating moment in this piece when Taha asks the smuggler when they will arrive in Palestine. We already did an hour ago, is the reply.Hlelel beautifully communicates Tahas dazed recognition that even the air now smells different in this land where everything has gone the village bulldozed along with his grandfathers bakery with its perfume of fresh olive oil, thyme and bread.There is no going home.
He wound up operating a souvenir shop near the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, describing himself with characteristic playfulness as a Muslim selling Christian memorabilia to Jews.By night, he fed his autodidacts voracious hunger, schooling himself in classical Arabic poetry and learning how to read English.He was 52 by the time his first book was published.
The narrative is interspersed with extracts from the poems, performed in Arabic with English surtitles projected onto a screen at the back.Some of these are addressed to Amira, the cousin to whom he was betrothed when he was fourand to whom he remained heartbreakingly devoted for decades after they were separated in the turmoil of 1948.
Taha likened his poetic method to billiards (You aim over here... to strike over there) and when he approaches politics, it tends to be from the oblique angle of personal experience rendered with wry, unflinching candour. Hlehels moving performance conjures up a man who doesnt seem to have a dishonest bone in his body. Its as though Tahas felt duty to preserve the bygone world in sensory evocation and to trace the emotional lineaments of loss have left him no room for hatred and histrionics.
The impact of the poetry is all the more powerful for the wiliness and self-deprecation of the treatment. The boy, who had always thought that he was a disappointment to his father, grows into the person who eventually appreciates why it was admiring rather than hurtful of himto refuse to dispense death-bed advice: Taha, your dream is bigger than any last words I can give you.
The final sequence here finds Taha on stage at a poetry festival in London.The audience, rocking with laughter because of a farcical mishap with his briefcase, is silenced by the rendition of his poem Revenge. Its a poem whose twists exemplify the authors admirable determination to follow a feeling all the way through, however awkward the outcome.At first the speaker dreams of fighting a duel with the man who killed my father and razed our home, expelling me into a narrow country. Then he imagines that his rival might himself have a network of loved ones, including a father who worriedly puts his hand over his heart when his son is even a quarter of an hour late and so resolves not to kill him, even if he could. Instead of a reversal at this point and a killer blow, the piece ends with the poet trying to convince himself that ignoring his enemy and leaving him with the pain of aloneness would in itself be a kind of revenge. Yes and no.
An inspiring piece that will play at theSummerhall in Edinburgh during August and is warmly recommended.
More:
Taha, Young Vic, London, review: the evolution of a Palestinian poet ... - The Independent
- History of Evolution | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy [Last Updated On: December 9th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 9th, 2016]
- Evolution - Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokmon encyclopedia [Last Updated On: December 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2016]
- What is Evolution - explanation and definitions [Last Updated On: December 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 21st, 2016]
- Evolution (2001 film) - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: January 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 28th, 2017]
- EvolutionM.net - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution | Reviews, News ... [Last Updated On: February 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 1st, 2017]
- YMCA evolution continues at lake - Gaston Gazette [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Ivanka Trump's Beauty Evolution, From 1998 to Today Watch - Us Weekly [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Lumpy, hairy, toe-like fossil could reveal the evolution of molluscs - The Guardian [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- How Evolution Alters Biological Invasions - ScienceBlog.com (blog) [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Cultural evolution and the mutilation of women - The Economist [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Late-night hosts on the evolution of Trump: 'Dickish to dictatorish' - The Guardian [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Gold's Gym Regina rebrands to become Evolution Fitness - Regina Leader-Post [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Incremental Versus Radical Innovation: A Response to Josh Swamidass on Evolution and Cancer - Discovery Institute [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Blockchain: Investment (R)Evolution For Developing Markets - Forbes [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- See the Evolution of the Famed Porsche 911 in 7 Photos - WIRED [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Exhibition charts 500 years of evolution of robots - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- How evolution turned ordinary plants into ravenous meat-eaters - Wired.co.uk [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Are Evolution Fresh Drinks 'Poison'? - snopes.com [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Non-Chromosomal DNA Drives Tumor Evolution - The Scientist [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2017]
- Chimpanzee feet allow scientists a new grasp on human foot evolution - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2017]
- 'Goldilocks' genes that tell the tale of human evolution hold clues to variety of diseases - Science Daily [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2017]
- Pac-Man is Coming to 'The Sandbox Evolution' Next Week - Touch Arcade [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Chimpanzee feet allow scientists a new grasp on human foot ... - Science Daily [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Bacteria sleep, then rapidly evolve, to survive antibiotic treatments - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Orangutan squeaks reveal language evolution, says study - BBC ... - BBC News [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Evolution gives rhyme its reason - Aurora News Register [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Deeper origin of gill evolution suggests 'active lifestyle' link in early vertebrates - Science Daily [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- From Tara Palmer-Tomkinson to Cara Delevingne: the evolution of the It girl - The Guardian [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Banned TED Talk: Rupert Sheldrake The Science Delusion - Collective Evolution [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- VOTD: Watch the Evolution of Keanu Reeves' Acting Career - /FILM [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Pokmon Go Eevee evolution: How to evolve Eevee into Vaporeon, Jolteon and Flareon with new names - Eurogamer.net [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Horse evolution bucks evolutionary theory - Science News [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Samsung's Chromebook Pro highlights the category's continued evolution - TechCrunch [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Scientists solve fish evolution mystery - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Wildfire evolution forces Forest Service into new thinking - The Daily Progress [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- How the horse can help us answer one of evolution's biggest questions - Raw Story [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- A primer on Darwin Day: Some religious groups embrace 'Theistic evolution' - LancasterOnline [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Apple: Evolution of in-car audio tech moving at 'speed of sound ... - Times of India [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Mariska Hargitay's Evolution from '80s Glam to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - TVOvermind [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Evolution of baseball from power to speed has left SBs behind ... - Chicago Sun-Times [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- More order with less judgment: An optimal theory of the evolution of cooperation - Science Daily [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- J. Albert C. Uy speaks on evolution, biodiversity in bellied flycatcher population - The College Reporter [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- See the Evolution of Movie Magic With Every Oscar Winner for Visual Effects in History - Gizmodo [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Numerology: Here's What Your Name Says About You - Collective Evolution [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- The Evolution of Valentine's Day - Inside Science News Service [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Why evolution may be tech billionaires' biggest enemy - The Week Magazine [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Community Viewpoint: Evolution, like gravity, is much more than theory it is a fact - Kdminer [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- How the horse can help us answer one of evolution's biggest questions - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- How evolution alters biological invasions - Science Daily [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Cockeyed squid shines light on deep sea evolution - Christian Science Monitor [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Eye Evolution: A Closer Look - Discovery Institute [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Evolution always wins: University of Idaho video game uses mutating aliens to teach science concepts - The Spokesman-Review [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Geneticists track the evolution of parenting - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- How this cockeyed squid shines a light on deep sea evolution - Christian Science Monitor [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- 4 Possible Roadmaps For macOS and iOS Evolution - The Mac Observer (blog) [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- The Evolution of the Energy Capital of the World - Texas Monthly [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Humons presents an atypical dance evolution - Detroit Metro Times [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Pokemon Go Adds 80 Generation 2 Pokemon, New Evolution Items This Week - IGN [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Fossil discovery rewrites understanding of reproductive evolution ... - Science Daily [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- 'X-Men: Evolution' Is the Gateway Drug of Comic Book Shows - Geek [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- A cultural catch: Evolution of wooden halibut hooks carved by native ... - Science Daily [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- Bremerton's Fitness Evolution now Planet Fitness - Kitsap Sun (blog) [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- Eye Evolution: The Waiting Is the Hardest Part - Discovery Institute [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- Evolution Of The Yeezy: 2009-2017 - HotNewHipHop [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- Prebiotic evolution: Hairpins help each other out - Science Daily [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- This 'Live Birth' Fossil Could Change Humanity's Understanding Of Evolution - Daily Caller [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- Mysterious Ancient Stonehenge-Like Circles Found in Amazon Rainforest - Collective Evolution [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- 'Pokemon Go': How to Evolve Poliwhirl Into Politoed - Heavy.com [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- 'Pokemon Go': How to Evolve Slowpoke Into Slowbro or Slowking - Heavy.com [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- 'Pokemon Go': How to Evolve Gloom Into Bellossom - Heavy.com [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Pokmon Go Dragon Scale - how to evolve Seadra into Kingdra and how to get the Dragon Scale - Eurogamer.net [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Pokmon Go Eevee evolution: How to evolve Eevee into Umbreon, Espeon, Vaporeon, Jolteon and Flareon with new ... - Eurogamer.net [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- University of Pittsburgh guest speaker discloses evolution findings - UTA The Shorthorn [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- 'Pokemon Go' Special Items: Drop Rates for Evolution Items & Berries at Pokestops - Heavy.com [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- How Vedic Philosophy Influenced Nikola Tesla's Idea of 'Free Energy' - Collective Evolution [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- Migration to America took long enough for evolution to happen on the way - Ars Technica [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- How To Choose Your Eevee Evolution In 'Pokmon GO:' Umbreon And Espeon Edition - Forbes [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- Evolution Items - IGN [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- Congo River fish evolution shaped by intense rapids: Genomic study ... - Science Daily [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- Pokmon Go - How to evolve, use Special Items, when to evolve or Power Up your Pokmon - Eurogamer.net [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]