THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO UK Tour Cast Announced

Nottingham Playhouse and UK Productions will present THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO in a new restaging of the 2023 world-premiere adaptation by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler.

The production will open on February 7, 2026, at Nottingham Playhouse before embarking on a UK tour in the spring. Directed by Anthony Almeida, the staging will return Christy Lefteri’s internationally best-selling novel to the stage with new cast members and a refreshed creative approach.

THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO

THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO will feature Adam Sina as Nuri and Farah Saffari as Afra. Joseph Long will return to the roles of Mustafa and the Moroccan Man, with Aram Mardourian returning to the roles of Nadim, Fotakis, and Ali. Additional casting includes Alia Lahlou as Dr Faruk, Dahab, and Immigration Officer; Princess Khumalo as Angeliki and Lucy Fisher; Dona Atallah as Mohammed and Sami; and Mohsen Ghaffari and Helena Massoud as ensemble. The creative team includes designer Ruby Pugh, lighting designer Ben Ormerod, sound designer Tingying Dong, video designer Zsolt Balogh for PALMA Studio, composer Elaha Soroor, casting directors Lucy Jenkins and Sooki McShane, cultural consultant Nesrin Alrefaai, associate sound designer Bella Kear, and assistant director Massi Safa. The original production was directed by Miranda Cromwell.

Director Anthony Almeida said:
“What a thrill to restage this sweeping story with an electric new cast. Christy Lefteri’s sensational novel is a clarion call to the everyday – but extraordinary – lives of people who seek a better tomorrow. ‘Beekeeper’ is a play full of heart, wit and hardship – and to share these vivid characters with audiences nationwide in 2026 feels ever-more urgent. I’m truly excited for how this talented, soulful company of actors will light up the stage.”

Artistic Director Adam Penford said:
“We’re delighted at the return of this emotive play, which so engaged audiences in 2023 and feels even more relevant today. Anthony Almeida will be breathing new life into this beautiful story, building on Miranda Cromwell’s original directorial vision. We can’t wait to see it revitalised with new cast members and share it with our audiences.”

UK Productions Director Martin Dodd said:
“We are absolutely delighted to once again be partnering with Nottingham Playhouse to bring this amazing story, and powerful piece of theatre back to the stage. Given world events, it has never been more relevant, and following its world premiere in 2023 we were taken aback by the reaction of audiences to each and every performance, with emotions running the full spectrum between laughter and tears.”

The production follows Nuri, a beekeeper, and Afra, an artist, whose peaceful life in Aleppo is shattered by war. Forced to flee their home, they confront loss, displacement, and the need to rebuild their lives. Lefteri’s novel includes the reflection:
“I was scared of the bees at first, but now, they make me feel alive. They are like a society in complete harmony with itself. Not like people at all, but maybe what people have the potential to be.”

The bestselling novel earned the Aspen Words Award, was runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and ranked among The Times top three bestselling books of 2020. Alrefaai and Spangler previously adapted The Kite Runner, which has toured internationally.

Ticketing

THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO will open on February 7, 2026, at Nottingham Playhouse before touring the UK. Ticketing details and full tour dates will be available through Nottingham Playhouse and UK Productions.