Creation Theatre and Oxfam present Shakespeare theatre from the occupied Palestinian territory
Oxford’s own Creation Theatre Company and global development charity Oxfam have teamed up to present Ashtar Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s Richard II in Oxford, for the Shakespeare’s Globe festival ‘Globe to Globe’, as part of the Olympic celebrations.
Following the global success of The Gaza Monologues; The Globe Theatre in London invited Ashtar Theatre to participate at the Olympiad of Shakespeare, ‘Globe to Globe’, this year.
Ashtar in return has invited the internationally renowned director Conall Morrison (Dublin’s Abbey Theatre) to direct the play.
The performance opens in Jericho in occupied Palestinian territory on 4 April next year and will run for a month in the West Bank, followed by two performances at Shakespeare’s Globe and one night only in Oxford at Oxfam House.
Ashtar’s Richard II is performed in Arabic (handouts available for non-speakers) and takes this classic play of power, politics and insurrection and infuses it with the tumultuous energy of the Arab Spring.
Creation Theatre Company Executive Director, James Erskine, said today: “Creation thrives on seeking out new collaborations and presenting theatre in unusual spaces. The opportunity to bring such a rare event to Oxford was irresistible. Oxfam are natural partners for this project as they are a truly global organisation.”
Anna Thorne, Development Manager for Oxfam says; “We are delighted to be hosting this performance. As an Oxford-based charity working globally to overcome poverty, this is a fantastic opportunity to welcome the local community to our building, showcasing an exciting an unusual performance from Ramallah. Oxfam has been working in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel since the 1980s. In the occupied West Bank, we are working with olive oil and date farmers, helping them to improve the quality of their products and find new markets. Some of these products, such as olive oil, are now available in the UK. In Gaza, we run a food voucher scheme to help poor families meet their food needs and have repaired damaged water systems.”
