31 March – 4 April

This is the story of the kind of road trip that no one wants to go on. When a country is at war with itself; when family, friends and neighbours are routinely killed – and often with relish – and one is powerless to do anything about it, the only solution is to flee. When Western Europe is trying to cope with economic migrants it is easy to forget the terrible plight of those for whom the various international conventions on those fleeing war zones was set up. So, given the terrible conditions under which large parts of the world now find themselves, it is a salutary reminder that behind each life on the road or sea is a human story that could be that of anyone we know, were conditions so fractured.

In form the play is like a series of diary entries by Nuri (Adam Sina) the beekeeper, who is fleeing the, often barbaric, internecine struggle that was the defining outcome of the Assad regime. The twist in the tail of this story by Christy Lefteri, of a man and his wife, Afra (Farah Saffari) fleeing Aleppo, is (without giving too much away for someone unfamiliar with the novel) one of revelation about the effect of displacement, loss and their all-consuming consequences. The play merely flirts with politics. Frustration with the requirements of an – at times apparently cold and inhuman – immigration system is nevertheless softened by the sense of a green England which is the home of bees and therefore life and consequently hope. This is the mantra of Nuri’s mentor as a beekeeper.

Whilst the acting is passionate, the dramatic structure that skips between Aleppo, Europe and England is not designed to draw us in, and is in that sense more Brechtian in its aim of showing us one particular aspect of the collapse of civil society. There is little opportunity for joy when lives are at stake. Again any sense of jeopardy is diluted by the knowledge from the outset that their journey is ultimately successful. A new life in England is the reward for the suffering and perseverance.

The set by Ruby Pugh is simply drawn and evocative of the heat and light of Syria. The extent to which it does the same for England or the various stages of the journey is less certain. Ben Ormerod’s lighting is a key element where the set is successful. Anthony Almeida’s light touch directing allows the play to speak for itself, giving the actors the necessary space to plot the emotional journey.

This is a timely piece of theatre that reminds us of the claims of humanity in a turbulent world.

★★★☆☆. Graham Wyles, 1 April 2026

Photography credit: Manuel Harlan