TALES OF A CITY BY THE SEA Comes to the Bakehouse Today

TALES OF A CITY BY THE SEA tours to The Bakehouse Theatre, Adelaide between today, June 8, through June 18, following its sold-0ut premiere Melbourne season in 2014.

Written by Palestinian/Australian/Canadian writer Samah Sabawi, this production has assembled a culturally diverse team that include artists from Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Malta, Malaysia, Thailand, Italy, Bengal, Chile and the UK and faiths which include Jewish, Muslim and Christian. For many audiences, this will be their first insight into life in Gaza.

TALES OF A CITY BY THE SEA is a unique and poetic journey into the lives of ordinary people struggling to find hope and love in areas affected by war and violence. Jomana, a Palestinian woman who lives in the Shati' (beach) refugee camp in Gaza falls in love with Rami, an American born Palestinian medical doctor and activist who arrives on the Free Gaza boats in August 2008. Their love is met with many challenges including Israel's assault on Gaza during the winter of 2008 forcing Rami to make incredible decisions the least of which is to take a dangerous journey through the underground tunnels that connect Gaza to Egypt. On the surface this love story appears to explore the relationship between diaspora communities and their loved ones back home in war torn regions and under occupation, but beneath the surface a broader and more universal theme emerges - one of human survival and tenacity.

TALES OF A CITY BY THE SEA avoids politics, ideological agendas and clichés by focusing on the human story in all its dimensions. Although the play's characters are fictional, the script is based on real life events and is a product of a collection of stories the author Samah Sabawi, her family and friends in Gaza have experienced during the events of the past several years. Sabawi has written most of the poetry in the play during the three-week bombardment of Gaza in 2008/2009.

Writer Samah Sabawi says, "The play is about confronting social, political and physical barriers. While the subject matter deals with the challenges of life under siege in Palestine, throughout the production of this play in Australia we've experienced the thrill of breaking down some of our own cultural and racial barriers. As a daughter of Palestinian immigrants who studied English as a second language in high school, I am particularly thrilled that the play will be seen by many school students in cities across Australia and to see it performed by a diverse cast of actors, because to me, this is what it's all about: This is a success story that beautifully displays the power of inclusivity and the strength of our cultural diversity. "

ABOUT THE SHOW:

TALES OF A CITY BY THE SEA
Written by Samah Sabawi
Original direction by Lech Mackiewicz
2016 remount direction by Wahibe Moussa
Set design by Lara Week
Lighting design by Shane Grant
Sound design by Khaled Sabsabi
Sound Mixer: Max Schollar-Root
Production/ Stage Manager: Hayley Fox
Assistant Stage Manager: James Crafti
Produced by Samah Sabawi, Daniel Clarke and Lara Week

Performed by Helana Sawires, Osamah Sami, Emina Ashman, Reece Vella, Alex Pinder, Rebecca Morton, Cara Whitehouse, Aseel Tayah and Ubaldino Mantelli

For more information on the production, visit www.talesofacitybythesea.com.

TALES OF A CITY BY THE SEA will also tour to La Mama Carlton Courthouse (Melbourne) 11-28 May and Casula Powerhouse (Sydney) on August 3.

Venue: Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide

Dates: 8-18 June 2016

Times: Tues - Sat 8pm | Sun 3pm

Tickets: Adults $30 | Concession $25 | TREv $25 | Groups (6+) $25 | School Students $18

Available via: www.bakehousetheatre.com | 08 8227 0505

ABOUT THE TEAM:

Samah Sabawi | Writer

Samah Sabawi is a Palestinian Australian Canadian playwright, commentator and poet. Her plays Cries From The Land and Three Wishes had successful runs in Canada; Tales Of A City By The Sea enjoyed a sold-out season at La Mama in 2014 and an Arabic premiere at Alrowwad's Cultural Theater Society in Palestine, and was selected for the 2016 VCE Drama Playlist. Sabawi's poems feature in WITH OUR EYES WIDE OPEN (West End Press 2014), GAZA UNSILENCED (Just World Books 2015) and I REMEMBER MY NAME (Novum Publishing 2016). She is co-editor of DOUBLE EXPOSURE: Plays of the Jewish and Palestinian Diasporas (Playwrights Canada Press 2016).

Wahibe Moussa | 2016 Remount Director

Wahibe Moussa is an award-winning performance maker, and writer. In 2007, Wahibe received the Green Room Award for her role as "Mahala" in Theatre @ Risk's production of Tony Kushner's Homebody/Kabul. In 2014 she was one of ten dramaturgy interns at Melbourne Theatre Company, a Playwriting Australia Fellowship initiative. Wahibe's practice is informed by her own experiences as a migrant child, her collaborations with Refugee Artists, and a commitment to understanding Indigenous performance and story making practices. This is Wahibe's directorial debut.

Osamah Sami | Rami

Osamah Sami is a failed cricketer and a struggling Muslim. His memoir Good Muslim Boy was Highly Commended at the Victorian Premiere's Literary Awards. He also co-wrote Ali's Wedding, Australia's first Muslim Rom-Com, and co-created the Web Series Two Refugees and a Blonde. Lead roles in films include Ali's Wedding, Journey, 10 Terrorists! and Saved. TV roles include: Kick, East West 101, Rush, Sea Patrol, City Homicide and Jack Irish. He has performed at Belvoir St, MTC, La Mama and a dozen independent houses. His role as "Amor" in MTC's I Call My Brothers earned him a Green Room nomination for Best Lead Actor.

Helana Sawires | Jomana

From a large, creative Egyptian family, Helana Sawires has always lived within the realm of the arts. Early on Helana developed a love for percussion, very much influenced by her father. Since graduating from Newtown High School of the Performing Arts (2011), Helana's projects include: Short and Sweet Theatre Festival; Banana Boy (upcoming short); and W.O.W Casula Kid's Festival (storyteller/drumming workshop). Helana landed her first major film role in 2015 in Ali's Wedding (Matchbox Pictures). She was accepted into the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in NYC (2014), completing a Chekhov Intensive Course, which further influenced her unique expression across all forms of art.

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