I believe one of the many reasons I love theatre is because it breaks down barriers in ways our politicians cannot. When you are in there, you are one of many audience members and no one is going to ask you about the colour of your skin, the degree you hold or how much money you are worth. We come in with our individual expectations of what the play is about and we leave with our individual interpretations of the play. I know some seats are more expensive than others but at the end of the day, whether or not you paid £100 or £10, we are all going to see the same play.
I Am Yusuf And This Is My Brother, at the Young Vic theatre, is a poignant, powerful and poetic piece of theatre, a play that attacks and awakens one’s senses about the plight of the Palestinian people. Written and directed by Amir Nizar Zuabi, a Palestinian who happens to be part of the minority of Palestinians living inside Israel, it is a brilliant production which leaves you asking questions. Not once is Israel mentioned. I believe this is why the play succeeds because Zuabi did not point fingers or tell the world Israel did this or that. Instead, he focused on the story of his people, their anguish at being dislocated and dispossessed of their land and dignity.
I Am Yusuf And This Is My Brother, tells the story of Yusuf and his brother Ali. Yusuf, popularly known as the village fool, is the eldest brother but he has a child like point of view on life and acts like one. Ali is in love with Nada but her father will not allow them get married because he feels Yusuf is odd. A love story which shows two people who are torn apart by circumstances, the play gives us the bigger picture of the chaos these individuals have found themselves due to the political upheavals in the country.
Zuabi takes us back to 1948, the year of the partition, Palestine is about to be divided and they all sit by the radio, believing it will not happen but the unthinkable happens. They are scattered all over and war erupts, a war that is defined by the might of one side over the other. One character on stage says it best – “We have stones, they have aeroplanes.” Which begets the question, what do fight with when you have nothing to fight with?
Rich in poetry that stems from the Arabic culture of its writer and director, Zuabi awakens your sense with the emotions fused into this play. You have no choice but to think twice about what the news media has reported over the years and ask, if they have been lying to us?
He expertly tells the story of his people from a perspective that I have never seen or heard before. Reiterating that this play is about the Palestinian narrative not that of Israel or the international community. Laced with humour and compassion for humanity, Zuabi displays an adept brilliance and understanding of history, the history of his people, which has defined their existence for over five decades.
If displacement can be compared to a foul smell, then Zuabi should be pleased with himself because I Am Yusuf And This Is My Brother reminds us about the nasty stench of feeling displaced in life. Yet, he gives you a feeling of hope with the elderly man who uproots the tree in front of his house, believing he can and will replant when he goes back home.
I Am Yusuf And This Is My Brother is currently showing at the Young Vic and end on 6 Feb 2010
Image 1 – Samaa Wakeem, Ali Suliman
Image 2 – Yussef Abu Warda
Images by Keith Pattison
Please do not use without permission from the Young Vic theatre
