Freedom Theatre’s reputation precedes its arrival in London. Holding a bastion for young adults in the heart of Gaza with theatre tools. It held pastoral care for the young adults and a treatise to the spirit of Gaza. Connected deeply to one’s soil, produce, relationships and people it makes one wonder, about one’s own ‘homecoming’ and deeper connection of belonging to the land one is born in. During the pandemic Playback theatre was a stepping stone for many to find artistry, expression and community as the world shut down. I learnt about the Freedom bus from Ben Rivers, one of the co- founders. I celebrated Freedom Theatre hosting the Feminist Theatre Festival in September 2023 just before all hell broke loose.
Return to Palestine is directed by Micaela Miranda and devised together with the ensemble of the third-year students of The Freedom Theatre School. Micaela feels strongly about Theatre being a transformational tool for processing the many emotions we carry in our bodies collectively. The unique training of Playback Theatre involves the actors and conductor honouring personal stories of the audience with movement, poetry and live music. The play follows this format, with the musicians on left and the actors on a small white sheet. The ‘intentionally limited play area’ – “as small as Palestine” does not provide any obstacles to the skilled actors who recreate long winding roads, check points, unlawful killings, heat and generosity from the streets of Gaza.
The play was created after extensive story-gathering through playback theatre with the communities engaged in The Freedom Theatre’s annual Freedom Ride. The play includes stories from Jenin refugee camp and city, Fasayel, Dheisheh refugee camp, Mufaqara and Gaza. The story they chose to share was of young Jad who travels from America to Gaza to connect with his roots, people and culture. It also incorporates true stories of 6-year-old Malek who threw stones at Israeli soldiers and was met with ‘butterflies.’ Bullets that explode on impact that was witnessed by his sister and retold in the public playback theatre sharing among others.
The ensemble work shines through in this production. They bring the sounds, aspirations and recreate the busy markets of Gaza, the delicious food shared in community and the marriages that continue as a treatise to the human will to survive. In its being they are able to effortlessly uncover the structural inequality, oppression and violence they face every day. While Israel imagines that changing geography could change history. The cultural resistance the Palestinian are leading with example of how they are not only putting their body and mind to the resistance is committed to making art and continue to survive. Their participation being their human right while being denied all rights. Our duty remains having witnessed their pain, sacrifice and steadfast truth, we don’t avert our gaze and join their attempt to call out the system of apartheid racism and spread the story as widely as possible to get the colonial zionist clear of their land and our own lands.
1. Ben Rivers one of the founders of Freedom Theatre talking about Playback theatre for social change. https://open.spotify.com/episode/44iyVuXNId81O1B6XNrsBF?si=b8e4YobyRwmwzKfG1E9MYw
3. https://thefreedomtheatre.org/what-we-do/theatre/theatre-school/
4. https://freedombuspalestine.wordpress.com/
Reviewer: Anisha Pucadyil
Reviewed: 28th May 2025
North West End UK Rating: