THE SHROUD MAKER Comes to Pleasance 10Dome

THE SHROUD MAKER comes to Pleasance 10Dome, Written and Directed by Ahmed Masoud, and Performed by Julia Tarnoky.

Hajja Souad has survived decades of wars, displacement and oppression by making and selling shrouds for burying the dead. It's the one item that is always in demand. As her past returns to haunt her she is forced to make a big decision. But first she tells us a harrowing story of courage, love, and escape that takes us on the journey of her life from Aqqur through Jerusalem and Hebron to her workshop in Gaza. Along the way we learn much about Palestine-Israel history.

In this compelling and moving black comedy inspired by a real-life character in Gaza, Palestinian writer Ahmed Masoud from Gaza weaves comic fantasy and satire with true stories to create a vivid portrait of Palestinian life in Gaza - before the most recent heartbreaking events.

This production was first presented in 2018 at @70 - A Celebration of Contemporary Palestinian Culture in London, and has since been given a number of performances around the UK. This is its Fringe premiere.

Writer Ahmed Masoud explains "The Shroud Maker is a black comedy about the situation in Palestine, highlighting the humanity of the people, their sense of humour and their great instinct for survival.

The Palestinian narrative is often presented through the small lens of politics without reference to the vibrant culture rooted in the people's history and memories. What is happening in Gaza right now is an example of how people fail to understand the deep human story which expands to centuries on this land. The Shroud Maker addresses these issues through the personal narrative of a woman trying to survive decades of war by making shrouds for the dead, shrewdly realising that this is a good business to have in a land of conflict. Hajja Souad's story provides both comedy and deep trauma."

The Shroud Maker is one personal narrative amongst thousands of Palestinian stories of those who have been displaced from their own homes - including Ahmed's own family history.

The Shroud Maker is performed by Julia Tarnoky. Julia's critically acclaimed roles include Sylvia Plath in Sylvia directed by Ralph Fiennes, Helen in Corryvreckan (for which she won the LFA Best Actress Award), extensive credits with Howard Barker and The Wrestling School, Deborah in A Kind of Alaska, Ruth Holderness in Bridlington, and Tyu in Reema Sengupta's Tyu's Company, an award-winning short selected for 9 international film festivals.

Audience responses at every performance have been ecstatic and emotional:

'With powerful acting and Masoud's poignant words, we're taken on a journey sharing Hajja's struggle with decades of war, displacement and oppression. Pangs of pain and heartache accompany the dark satire... the audience are left with tears in their eyes even as they try to laugh grimly at Hajja's no-nonsense attitude. The final scene is met with a standing ovation, applause filling the studio which moments before had trembled with anguish and heartbreak'

'In one of the most remarkable performances I have seen in theatre, Julia Tarnoky held a riveted audience spellbound through a tour de force of storytelling covering eighty-five years in the life of Hajja Souad, a Palestinian shroud maker. Along the way she portrays a myriad of characters with such clarity, detail and accuracy it quite took my breath away. This beautifully written play is so packed full of stories and incident it feels epic in proportion.'

'The Shroud Maker is a fantastic piece of theatre; an urgent, sometimes shocking narrative... at the centre of which is a strong woman, devastatingly portrayed by Julia Tarnoky... conveying the filmic narrative and emotional range in this virtuoso performance.'

'We are used to the political story of the West Bank and Gaza - The Shroud Maker gives us the human story - the pain and anguish, and the canny humour needed to survive the years of terrible conflict... Julia Tarnoky portrays a whole neighbourhood of characters and stories in a powerful, committed performance in a fascinating play.'

'I was engrossed from beginning to end, taking my eyes off the stage for only a moment to reach for some tissues for the person sitting next to me. How well deserved was the standing ovation.'

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