Palestinian Performer Alaa Shehada Secures Second Consecutive Fringe First Award at Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Palestinian actor Alaa Shehada has won a Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for The Bridge, a compelling one-man show that transforms an arduous journey between the occupied West Bank and Jordan into a poignant narrative about family, separation, and daily life under occupation.

This prestigious recognition marks the second consecutive year that Alaa Shehada has received the award. His previous acclaimed production, The Horse of Jenin, won a Fringe First at the festival in 2025. Presented by the Palestine Comedy Club, The Bridge skillfully combines storytelling, stand-up, and physical comedy as Alaa Shehada travels from his home in the occupied West Bank to Jordan while carrying olive oil from that year's harvest.

The oil serves as a heartfelt gift from his mother in Jenin to her sister in Amman, described by the production as a "gift of separation." To successfully deliver it, Alaa Shehada must navigate multiple Palestinian, Israeli, and Jordanian checkpoints throughout a journey that forms the backdrop of the 70-minute performance. Although the physical crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan spans only about 180 metres, the broader bureaucratic and security process can extend up to 12 hours.

"It's driving everyone mad," Alaa Shehada stated prior to the festival. "It's a very simple right to have, which is travelling from your house to Jordan. Why does it take all of that?" This frustrating reality fuels much of the humor and tension in The Bridge, allowing Alaa Shehada to explore the profound symbolic significance of the crossing alongside the history of British involvement in Palestine.

This approach builds upon the artistic foundation he established in The Horse of Jenin, which used personal memories and comedy to illustrate the broader realities of Palestinian life. That earlier production centered around a horse sculpture built in Jenin in 2003 from debris left behind by an Israeli military incursion. After the landmark was destroyed by Israeli forces in 2023, Alaa Shehada constructed a show around its enduring cultural representation.

Reflecting on his mission as an artist, Alaa Shehada emphasized his desire for audiences to experience the multifaceted contradictions of everyday Palestinian existence rather than viewing the region solely through the lens of conflict. "It's about what is in our skin," he noted. "It's all about the story, about how hard the daily life is here, and funny sometimes, and confusing."

He further highlighted the unique power of comedy in challenging international stereotypes. "Comedy has many ways of reaching people," Alaa Shehada explained, noting that international media often reduces Palestinian experiences to images of checkpoints and conflict, overshadowing ordinary relationships, family dynamics, and daily conversations.

Having trained for four years at The Freedom Theatre in Jenin refugee camp, Alaa Shehada developed a diverse performance style incorporating clowning, stand-up, storytelling, and masks. In 2019, he co-founded the Palestine Comedy Club, an organization that conducts workshops in the West Bank and tours internationally to share Palestinian narratives with global audiences.

The Bridge concludes its run at Assembly Roxy today, with final performances scheduled at Assembly George Square Studios from August 28 to 30.