©Kamerich & Budwilowitz
By Grace Hatchell-2nd Act Couriers
There are some shows that arrive at the Edinburgh Fringe with a bit of polite theatre chatter behind them, and then there are shows that come trotting back in with a Fringe First Award, sold-out audiences, five-star reviews and a place on Rolling Stone’s Top 10 Shows of the Fringe.
No pressure, then.
The Horse of Jenin, written and performed by Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada, returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August following its acclaimed 2025 run. It will play at Beyond, Pleasance Courtyard, from 18–30 August 2026, bringing back a solo show that blends theatre, storytelling, comedy, mask work and personal memoir into something deeply human.
And yes, I know what you might be thinking. “Grace, this sounds heavy.” Well, it is — in places. The show contains distressing themes, references to war and strong language. But from the sound of it, The Horse of Jenin is not simply asking audiences to sit in the dark and be solemn for 75 minutes while clutching their tote bags like Victorian widows.
This is a show about childhood, friendship, family, community and resilience. It is about the everyday lives that exist behind the headlines. The silly moments. The first crushes. The neighbours. The memories that somehow survive even when the world around them is anything but gentle.
At the centre of the piece is the real Horse of Jenin, a 15-foot sculpture made from the rubble of homes destroyed during the 2002 invasion of the city. Created by German artist Thomas Kilpper with local Palestinian teenagers, the sculpture became a symbol of creativity, freedom and community before it was later bulldozed and taken away by the Israeli army.
That image alone could carry a whole show on its back, but Shehada seems to be doing something more personal here. Rather than reducing Jenin to conflict, The Horse of Jenin looks at the lives, jokes, friendships and ordinary human details that continue underneath it all. Because people are never just their suffering. They are stories, bad jokes, family arguments, shared meals, daft childhood adventures and the sort of memories that sneak up on you years later when you least expect them.
Shehada has described the show as “ultimately a story about people,” adding that while the horse became a symbol of hope, imagination and resilience, audiences have connected most strongly with the human stories beneath it.
That, I think, is where theatre can do something news headlines often cannot. It can slow everything down. It can take something vast and overwhelming and place it in front of us as one person, one voice, one memory, one daft little detail that suddenly makes the world feel closer.
The production earned major acclaim during its previous Edinburgh run, winning a Fringe First Award and drawing praise for its warmth, humour and emotional honesty. The Guardian called it a production that “chooses to find joy amid horror,” while The Arts Desk praised its ability to remind audiences of the brutality and injustice of everyday West Bank life “without manipulating emotions.” The Scotsman described it as one of the key contributions to that year’s Fringe.
And if that hasn’t got the theatre pigeons flapping, I don’t know what will.
The Horse of Jenin forms part of a wider Edinburgh Fringe programme presented by Palestine Comedy Club, showcasing Palestinian voices through comedy, theatre and storytelling. Alongside Shehada’s returning show, the company will also present Hanna Shammas Takes It To Heart, a new solo show exploring identity, health, belonging and life in the diaspora, and The Bridge, which examines borders, movement, restriction and separation through humour and personal storytelling.
Together, the programme offers audiences a chance to experience contemporary Palestinian stories through lived experience, not as distant headlines, but as theatre full of voice, character, memory and humanity.
For anyone who missed The Horse of Jenin the first time round, this limited return feels like one of those Fringe second chances worth paying attention to. A show with awards behind it, yes. A show with political weight around it, certainly. But more than that, a show about people finding friendship, absurdity and joy in places where you might least expect it.
And that, my dears, is the sort of thing Grace keeps tucked carefully in the satchel.
Show Information
The Horse of Jenin runs from 18–30 August 2026 at Beyond, Pleasance Courtyard, 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ.
Performances are at 1.15pm. Tickets start from £17 and are available through the Pleasance website. The running time is 1 hour 15 minutes. The show is performed in English and has an age guidance of 12+.
Please note that the production contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, references to war and strong language.
Writer and performer: Alaa Shehada
Co-writer and comedy consultant: Sam Beale
Music: Remy van Kesteren and Khalil Al Batran
Masks: Den Durand
Dramaturgy: Maarten Bos
Lighting Design: Lily Dawford
Mask Technique: Troupe Courage
The Horse of Jenin | Pleasance Theatre Trust
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