Yousef would like to talk to you. He is a Palestinian, but really, he wants to talk about his kids. This unconventional play challenges you to step beyond beliefs and ideas and listen.
A man walks onto the stage, and he does not assume much about us; we do not know what to make of him. Upstage are flags, banners, and protest signs. He introduces himself. His name is Yousef. He is warm, charming and gentle with us. He talks us through the aforementioned upstage items, explaining that he was given them by people protesting him or in his proximity. Yousef is a Palestinian with an Israeli passport. He has two Jewish children, a father with strong anti-Israeli opinions, and friends in the IDF. But Yousef doesn’t want to talk about this; he wants to talk about raising his children.
The play is refreshing in its simplicity. Yousef tells stories about his childhood, his coming of age, and how he got to where he is now. He has an incredible intimacy; he does not overstate his stories, never telling us what to think or feel, instead asking us to step into the space with him and empathise for just shy of an hour. Underneath this, the play begins to make difficult his refusal to talk about the conflict; he is struggling to escape the state of his homeland. This gorgeously understated performance is knowingly at odds with its subject matter, and thus asks the audience to become involved in its dramaturgy, demanding that we consider our thinking about the area of land in the Middle East, and reconcile the story told in the news with an unconventional reflection on positionally. This play is an extraordinary act of empathy, that neither thinks nor behaves in the way you expect or might want it to.
Review by Tom Carter
Israeli-Palestinian actor Yousef Sweid dives into the chaos of identity, truth, and family life in Between The River And The Sea. Raised as a Christian Arab kid in Haifa, now raising two Jewish-Arab kids in Berlin, he unpacks his in-between-ness where contradictions clash and slogans fail. With biting humour and raw honesty, Sweid weaves personal stories, political reflection, and absurd everyday moments into a sharp, unflinching solo performance. This is no neat narrative—but a plea for nuance, for listening, and for stories that rarely get told. Uncomfortable, unforgettable, unfiltered. Complex, touching and funny.
Playwrights – Isabella Sedlak and Yousef Sweid
Music – Thomas Moked Blum
Dramaturgy – Murat Dikenci
PR Manager – Yuval Garber
Producer – Aurora Nova
BETWEEN THE RIVER AND THE SEA
1 to 13 August 2025
ZOO Southside (1 to 9 August), ZOO Playground (10 to 13 August) at the Edinburgh Fringe
