Dirty Laundry Theatre Gets London Debut With SHARIF شريف Staged Reading

New York's Dirty Laundry Theatre is partnering with Israeli playwright and director Tomer Aldubi to bring its work to London for the first time with the European premiere reading of SHARIF شريف. The new play will be presented at London's Bridge House Theatre at 7:30pm on Sunday, June 22nd, 2025.

Based on real-life testimonies and told through flashbacks and present-day scenes, Sharif شريف is a gripping and deeply moving new drama that follows the journey of a queer Palestinian man who is forced to flee the West Bank after being outed. Alone and seeking asylum in Israel-a place that is both refuge and threat-Sharif must navigate a complex web of bureaucracy, suspicion, and social stigma, all while haunted by the memory of Nour, the secret lover he was forced to leave behind.

This staged reading marks the launch of the play's development as Dirty Laundry Theatre embarks on a longer-term collaboration with Palestinian dramaturgs and theatre artists. The goal: to ensure the story is shaped and told with integrity, care, and cultural truth.

"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 so much propaganda and distortion in the air, it's not enough to speak-we have to speak truthfully, with balance, care, and humility. In a time of deep division and violence, I don't take for granted the fact that I have the voice and platform to help tell this story. It's an act of responsibility, and a belief that when storytelling is done with integrity, it can open space for something more just."

Following its London debut, the production will have its American premiere at the BorderLight Theatre Festival in Cleveland, Ohio.

The evening will feature a 50-minute staged reading, followed by a live Q&A with the cast and creative team. Sunday, June 22nd. 7:30 PM. Bridge House Theatre. Sharif شريف.

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