A GRAIN OF SAND Will Run at the Arcola Theatre Prior to UK Tour

A Grain of Sand, written and directed by Deputy Artistic Director Elias Matar (Olive Jar, Shubbak Festival) and performed by Sarah Agha (The Hardacres, Channel 5) will run at Arcola Theatre in London from 21 - 31 January 2026 ahead of a UK tour.  This powerful new production has dramaturgy from the Olivier nominated Co-Artistic Directors of Good Chance Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson (whose production of Kyoto is currently at the Lincoln Center, New York following acclaimed runs at the Royal Shakespeare Company and @sohoplace). 

Inspired by Leila Boukarim and Asaf Luzon's anthology A Million Kites: Testimonies and Poems from the Children of Gaza, A Grain of Sand is a one-woman show that takes an intimate look at war through the eyes of a child, blending Palestinian folklore with real-life testimonies from children in contemporary Gaza.

Renad, a young Gazan girl, embarks on a dangerous journey. Carrying only the echoes of her grandmother's tales and the spark of her own imagination, she searches for her family and the ‘Anqaa' - the mythical Palestinian Phoenix. Renad's story is one of resilience, hope and the right of children to be children.

Following its run at the Arcola Theatre, A Grain of Sand will tour to Leeds Playhouse (6 - 7 February), Theatre Clwyd, Mold (9 - 10 February), Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (26 – 28 February), Bristol Old Vic (3 – 7 March), Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh (10 - 12 March), Citizens Theatre, Glasgow (13 - 14 March), Theatre Royal, Plymouth (17 – 18 March), North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford (20 – 21 March), Belgrade Theatre, Coventry (23 – 25 March) and HOME, Manchester (26 – 28 March).

Originally commissioned by the London Palestine Film Festival as a live performance to open the 2024 festival at the Barbican Cinema, A Grain of Sand had a one-off performance with Good Chance at the Liverpool Arab Arts Festival in July 2025. 

The creative team also includes Set and Costume Designer Natalie Pryce, Composer and Sound Designer Nick Powell, Video Designer Dan Light and Lighting Designer Jonathan Chan.

Elias Matar is a director, playwright and storyteller. He grew up in the Galilee, where he founded Ibillin Theatre, and later established the Elbayet Centre in London. His work draws on his Palestinian heritage and experiences, creating rich, contemporary narratives that explore identity, belonging and resilience. Directing credits include A Needle and Thread (Nazareth), A Dress of My Own (Nazareth), The Darkness of Nisan (Ibillin), Rooms (Ibillin), and his London works Olive Jar and A Grain of Sand. Elias is also the Deputy Artistic Director at Good Chance.

Sarah Agha is an actress, presenter, film curator and writer. She co-hosted the award-winning documentary series The Holy Land And Us on BBC Two and she plays series regular Betsy Temple in The Hardacres on Channel 5. Other screen credits include Into The Badlands and BFI/Film 4 feature Layla. Theatre credits include roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Polka Theatre, Arcola Theatre and Shakespeare's Globe.

Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson founded Good Chance in 2015 in the Calais ‘Jungle' refugee camp. Their first full-length play The Jungle, based on their experiences there, opened at the Young Vic, before transferring to the West End, St Ann's Warehouse, San Francisco and Washington D.C.. Inspired by a character from The Jungle, they co-created The Walk with Little Amal, a global festival of welcome. Kyoto, their second full-length play, premiered at the Royal Shakespeare Company before transferring to the West End and New York's Lincoln Center Theater.

Nick Powell is a London-based, Tony and Olivier nominated, and a Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle award-winning composer and sound designer. His theatre credits include: The Lehman Trilogy (West End, Broadway & World Tour), The Ferryman (West End & Broadway) and The Hills Of California (West End & Broadway) as well as acting as music consultant on the Oscar-winning film 1917.

Since 2015 Good Chance has sparked global connections and conversations on migration, polarisation and the climate crisis. Through theatre productions such as The Jungle, Kyoto and Donbas (a new play about the conflict in Ukraine which will be playing at Theatre503 concurrently with A Grain of Sand) and major international public artworks such as The Walk with Little Amal, Fly With Me, From Here On, the company's work confronts the most urgent issues of our time. Behind the scenes, their Artist Development initiatives such as Stage Door and Good Chance Ensemble create opportunities for displaced artists to develop and in doing so, help lead systemic change in the UK's creative ecosystem.

Tour Dates

Arcola Theatre, London

Wednesday 21 - Saturday 31 January

Q&As: Thursday 22 and 29 January (evening)

Saturday 24 and 31 January (matinee)

Leeds Playhouse, Leeds

Friday 6 - Saturday 7 February

Q&A: Friday 6th February

Theatre Clwyd, Mold

Monday 9 - Tuesday 10 February

Q&A: Monday 9 February

Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

Thursday 26 - Saturday 28 February

Q&A: Friday 27 February

Bristol Old Vic, Bristol

Tuesday 3 - Saturday 7 March

Q&A: Thursday 5 March

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

Tuesday 10 - Thursday 12 March

Q&A: Wednesday 11 March

Citizens Theatre, Glasgow

Friday 13 - Saturday 14 March

Q&A: Friday 13 March

Theatre Royal, Plymouth

Tuesday 17 - Wednesday 18 March

Q&A: Tuesday 17 March

North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford

Friday 20 - Saturday 21 March

Q&A: Friday 20 March

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

Monday 23 - Wednesday 25 March

HOME, Manchester

Thursday 26 - Saturday 28 March