Of all the jobs in the world, one of the ones you’d probably least associate with Syria, is beekeeping. Based on the book by Christy Lefteri, who was a volunteer at a women and children’s refugee camp in Athens, the play tackles the topic of the Syrian war and a refugee and his wife, who leave Syria and are trying to seek asylum in the UK.
With adaptations from a book and especially one that deals with such a serious issue as this one, it can be hard to get it right. Getting the message across in just the right way can be difficult, but this production from Nottingham Playhouse, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and UK Productions Ltd hits the spot. Getting the mix of serious and funny across was done extremely well and despite the subject matter, you left the theatre having had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
With the book fresh in my mind, there are some differences that I noticed, such as the case worker being less sympathetic and a few plot changes, but it easy to see why most of these have done – it can be hard to fit a book into two hours! On the whole, they didn’t detract from the performance, but it felt like a strange choice to make the case worker come across insensitive, which I have to say, is possibly the only fault I could find.
Alfred Clay leads the cast brilliantly as Nuri and considering he was hardly ever off stage; it didn’t seem to faze him, and he continued to portray the full range of emotions and the journey that his character undertakes. He was supported greatly by Roxy Faridany, who played his wife, Afra. She is able to go between the two versions we see of her character with ease, and it flows. It helps the audience to differentiate between the ‘modern day’ and flashback scenes.
Ruby Pugh’s set design, whilst looking more on the simplistic side, for the scenes in Syria and Refugee camps across Europe, is actually more on the. complex side when you look deeper into it. She’s worked closely with Film Designer Ravi Deepres, in order to create a full visual experience of all of the places encountered throughout the play and it works to immerse the audience into what they are watching.
I am usually one to recommend reading a book before seeing any adaptations, however; if you can’t read the book, or don’t enjoy reading – then rush to be sure you catch the stage adaptation!
The Beekeeper of Aleppo is at the Liverpool Playhouse until 11th March, before continuing on its UK tour. Tickets are available from www.everymanplayhouse.com/whats-on/the-beekeeper-of-aleppo
Reviewer: Jenn McKean
Reviewed: 1st March 2023
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★★