SHARIF شريف Staged Reading Set for JW3 and King’s Head Theatre in London
SHARIF explores the plight of LGBTQ+ Palestinians in upcoming London staged readings
Following an initial WIP presentation in 2025, SHARIF returns to London for a special two-night staged reading at JW3 on Monday 23 March and the King's Head Theatre on Tuesday 31 March, directed by award-winning director Niall Phillips. This latest presentation marks a significant step in the play's development and represents the final stage before its World Premiere later this year.
SHARIF is a high-tension drama that uncovers the invisible lives of LGBTQ+ Palestinians seeking refuge within Israel. Based on extensive real-life testimonies, the play follows a man forced to flee the West Bank after being outed, only to find himself trapped in a bureaucratic "limbo" where his survival depends on his ability to convince a system that views him with constant suspicion.
The play is written by Tomer Aldubi, a playwright and investigative journalist whose undercover research for Mako (N12), together with five years spent among queer Palestinians, informed the play's foundational evidence. Deeply influenced by the life and tragic loss of Ahmad Abu Marakhia, Sharif offers a harrowing look at the dangers faced by queer Palestinians. Aldubi brings a unique perspective to the work, having been the first queer journalist to meet Marakhia and publish his story. The play serves both as a memorial and as a critical exploration of the search for safety.
The production is developed and presented by New York's Dirty Laundry Theatre ,a dialogic theatre dedicated to sharing unique Middle Eastern experiences through cross-cultural collaboration. In developing the play, Aldubi and the team worked closely with a Palestinian dramaturg to ensure authentic representation of the story and narrative.
This English-language version was translated by Shir Freibach, an acclaimed translator known for her work with the Hanoch Levin Institute and The National Theatre.
"Telling a story like Sharif, especially as an Israeli, is a conscious act of using my privilege to hold space for voices that are so often silenced," says Maera Daniel Hagage, Artistic Director and Producer of Dirty Laundry Theatre. "This story needs to be told-but not just told, told right. With balance, care, and humility. In a time of deep division and violence, I don't take for granted the platform I have- It's a responsibility. When storytelling is done with integrity, it can open space for something more just."
The limited reading series serves as a critical developmental milestone ahead of the play's World Premiere later this year. To honor the production's dialogic mission, the performances will be followed by a facilitated cross-community Q&A with the creative team, inviting the audience to engage directly with the complex human rights and identity themes raised by the work.
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