Whispers International are rebuilding Beirut’s theatre community
Hattie Fisk
Friday, April 9, 2021
Whispers International’s online production will unite British playwrights with Lebanese artists and raise money to help rebuild Beirut's theatres, all of which were destroyed in the devastating 2020 blast.
In 2020, the largest non-nuclear blast in history destroyed Beirut’s architecture, including its theatres. Lebanese artists and producers are facing extreme hardship, with a pandemic, a global theatre shutdown and Lebanon’s economic crisis choking the industry. Many have lost their studios, homes and belongings, and are being driven out of the creative industry as a means of survival.
Whispers International aims to tackle this issue, by uniting British playwrights with acclaimed Lebanese artists, and donating the proceeds to theatre rebuilding projects and artists who need support. This production, on 24 April, follows an initial successful showing in November 2020 which raised 70 million Lebanese Liras — all of which was used to rebuild Beirut’s theatres.
Six British playwrights — Mike Elliston, Geraldine Brennan, Kate Webster, Angela Harvey, Kim Hardy and John Jesper — have offered their texts free of charge to support their fellow theatre professionals in Lebanon. Their monologues have been adapted to mirror the current situation in Lebanon, and have been translated into Lebanese Arabic with English and French subtitles. The project addresses important and relevant issues, including mental health, political injustice, women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights.
Award-winning theatre director, Lina Abiad is the project's director; Beirut-based Josyane Boulos is a producer on the show, joined by London-based Agatha Ezzendine.
Ezzendine said: ‘Beirut has always been the ultimate muse to many artists, and it would be heart-breaking to see it lose its spark and stop making art.’
The performance features an amazing array of actors, including Nadine Labaki (director of Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe and César Award nominations), Georges Khabbaz (Murex D'or, Festival de Molière and Rotterdam Film Festival award winning actor), Rita Hayek (lead actress in an Academy Award nominated film) among others.
The performance is for ages 13 +.
Tickets are priced at £12+ booking fee and are available here.