THEM

The city in which THEM takes place does not get named; this story could be happening – is probably happening – anywhere. 

Leila and Omar, played by Priscilla Doueihy and Abdulrahman Hammoud, are married with a baby boy, living in an area beset by bombings. Their daily conversations are governed by worries for the future and debates about whether it is safer to escape the country by boat. Omar’s friends, Majid and Mohamad, played by Khisraw Jones-Shukoor and Reece Vella, are both making plans to get out. Omar’s sister, Salma, played by Claudia Greenstone, helps families escape by finding opportune marriages for young brides with older men overseas. As the threat of destruction grows stronger, Leila and Omar are forced to make choices about how willing they are to compromise their morals, to abandon their home, all in search of refuge that fate may not provide either way. 

When the choice is between bombing or drowning, with only a glimmer of hope, a glimmer becomes a saving grace for daily life. And yet the wit and humour of this play are shining stars lighting up the black box theatre.

There is no amount of praise that is sufficient to heap on Samah Sabawi’s writing and Bagryana Popov’s directing. The pacing, flow of the scenes and character development are impeccable. Lara Week’s set design is another highlight – the pieces are simple in their design but so viscerally reminiscent of a specific place and aesthetic. We are instantly transported into Leila and Omar’s world. With the acting of such a high calibre, all we care about for this 90 minutes is to not see this world destroyed. 

These are not stories we get to hear about on the news, or watch on TV, they are not stories that are shared widely, and therefore it is as if they do not exist. For a limited time, at La Mama Courthouse, we’re exposed to these refugee stories in such an emotional and pure manner that it feels like it should be mandatory viewing. This show is a powerful reminder that there is humanity under the rubble.

THEM is perhaps the most important piece of theatre you will see this year.