Counterpoints Arts, The Palestine Museum in Bristol and the Palestine Comedy Club present a unique night of stand-up comedy! Featuring top Palestinian comedians Alaa Shehada, Hanna Shammas and Diana Sweity on their first UK tour – performing in English.
Palestine Comedy Club (PalCom) is a comedy production company established in the UK and Palestine by Palestinian stand-up comedian, Alaa Shehada, with assistance from senior lecturer in comedy and solo performance at Middlesex University, Dr. Sam Beale, and film producer, Charlotte Knowles.
Under the leadership of Alaa Shehada, Palestine Comedy Club is working to establish a stand-up comedy circuit across the West Bank providing space and funds for emerging stand-up comedy talent in the region to hone their craft and develop a culture of live comedy performance that is unique to the Palestinian experience.
The Palestine Museum in Bristol was founded in 2013, and is run entirely by volunteers It explores Palestinian culture, heritage and daily life.
Presented by Counterpoints Arts with the Palestine Museum as part of the Platforma festival 2023
More about PalCom
Palestine Comedy Club’s first show, ‘Balad’ (بلد ) toured to venues in Ramallah, Nablus, Haifa, Nazareth, Jerusalem and Jenin in 2022. Performed by Alaa Shehada, Hanna Shammas, Raed Sheukhi, Diana Sweity, Ebaa Monther and Khalil Al-Batran, ‘Balad’ explores the complexity of Palestinian identity as it is experienced across the entire region, from Hebron to the Golan Heights.
The show received excellent reviews and was described as “ laughter in extreme pain, and a turning point towards a different comedy in Palestine.”
PalCom delivers workshops to non-performers including in women’s centres and refugee camps. We have taught in Ramallah, in the Korean Centre, Hebron, at the Ibaa Cultural Centre in Dheishah Camp, Bethlehem, and at the women’s centre in Jenin. We have also held workshops at Nablus Performing Arts and Circus School. These workshops gave local people an opportunity to share personal stories and explore stand-up skills as a form of personal and cultural expression.
