ALAA SHEHADA
Built from the debris of a major invasion, the Horse of Jenin sculpture became a constant presence in Alaa’s life growing up in Occupied Palestine. It stood proudly in the centre of the city for twenty years, symbolising hope and resistance.
Then, on 29 October 2023, a bulldozer entered the city, ripping the sculpture from its place — and from its people.
Now, Alaa is left wondering… What happened to the horse?
Constructed from the fragments of Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada’s own memories, The Horse of Jenin is an ode to the power of imagination and the resilience it brings.
TOURDATES
November 20 - December 20
London, UK
Bush Theatre
May 22
Groningen, Netherlands
SPOT
April 17
Leiden, Netherlands
Theater Ins Blau
April 3
Deventer, Netherlands
Theater MIMIK
March 19-30
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Theater Bellevue
March 15
Breda, Netherlands
Chassé Theatre
February 21
Nijmegen, Netherlands
Lindenberg Cultuurhuis
January 29
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Paradiso
January 17
London, UK
Stradfort East
January 9-12
New York City, USA
LAMAMA Theatre
January 4
Almelo, Netherlands
Theatre Hof 88
Biography
Alaa Shehada is a Palestinian actor and comedian. He’s a graduate of The Freedom Theatre Acting School in Jenin Refugee Camp, a company nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in February 2024.
As a co-founder of The Palestine Comedy Club, Alaa has developed a platform for Palestinian comedians to share their stories, humor, and culture. His new comedy solo show, The Horse of Jenin, is a moving and humorous look at his upbringing in Jenin.
Alaa has performed in the USA, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the UK. He is a recipient of a Jury Award at the International Festival of Liberal Theatre in Jordan, Best Show at the Palestinian National Theatre Festival 2018, and Best Script Co-Writer 2019 for London Jenin. He recently performed with comedian Bassem Youssef and held a TEDx London talk with comedian Nish Kumar.
SHOWS
Grey Rock
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By Palestine’s leading playwright / director, Amir Nizar Zuabi.
A Palestinian man dreams of reaching the moon. He builds a rocket inside his shed in the West Bank. When his family discovers his plan, chaos ensues. This humorous, poetic work is performed by a five-member cast, featuring renowned actor, Khalifa Natour. -
Role: Jawad
45 shows between US and Australia:
LaMaMa Theatre | New York
The John Kennedy Centre | Washington DC
The Kimmel Centre | Philadelphia,
Gathrie Theatre | Minneapolis
Public Theater | New York
Melbourne Festival (The Malthouse) Adelaide Festival AustraliaPRESS
“The playwright invokes the spirit of this complex and multi-layered land and its people’s grief and desperation brilliantly.” — Arjun Rajkhowa, Arts Hub, Melbourne
Palestine Comedy Club
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Palestine Comedy Club follows five Palestinian stand-up comedians who write and tour a stand-up comedy show exploring the unlikely, often dark humour that surrounds the complexity of Palestinian identity. What starts as a blending of comic traditions to encourage honest and open reflections through the shared enjoyment of laughter becomes an existential imperative to share common humanity.
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Palestine Comedy Club was profiled at Cannes Docs and Toronto International Film Festival work-in-progress strands in 2024. The film has been invited to multiple festivals in 2025.
“What starts as a blending of comic traditions to encourage honest and open reflections through the shared enjoyment of laughter becomes an existential imperative to share common humanity.” — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline
London Jenin
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London Jenin is a bold and humorous theatrical performance exploring the conflicting desires of two Palestinian actors torn between staying in Britain or returning to Jenin. Created independently by Khawla Ibrahim, Faisal Abu Al-Haija, and Alaa Shehada, the play blends comedy and raw self-reflection to examine national identity, displacement, and the struggles of Palestinian youth. Through sharp dialogue, monologues, and role-switching, it mirrors the bittersweet tension between longing for home and seeking opportunity abroad. With minimal props and maximum emotional depth, London Jenin turns an immigration office in East London into a stage for existential reckoning.
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English performance directed by Khawla Ibrahim at Sundance USA.
Arabic performance directed by Khawla Ibrahim.
At the Roundabout
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A sharp and satirical theatrical work that explores the intersection of personal and political struggles in Palestinian society. Through the lens of a love story doomed by family conflicts, the play critiques social divisions, political stagnation, and the impact of economic transformations, symbolized by the establishment of a massive landfill near the village. Blending humor with deep melancholy, solo performer Alaa Shehadeh masterfully embodies multiple characters, bringing to life the absurdity of a system that remains unchanged despite decades of upheaval. The play’s circular structure mirrors the stagnation it critiques—elections repeat, societal norms persist, and individuals find themselves trapped in a cycle of frustration. Ultimately, At the Roundabout questions whether real change is possible or if history will keep repeating itself.
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Directed by: Hassan Taha
Performed in Palestine
“Despite continuous laughter throughout the play, we found ourselves with a sorrow wrapped in anger, blame, and reproach, along with a shocking and elusive contemplation of our lives. Will we continue this way?” — Tahseen Yaqeen
Return to Palestine
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Jad, a Palestinian born in America, decides to go to Palestine for the first time in his life. Wanting to know more about his people and identity, he finds out that reality is very different from what he has seen in the news.
Return to Palestine is directed by Micaela Miranda and devised together with an ensemble of graduated students of The Freedom Theatre School. It was created after extensive story-gathering through playback theatre with the communities engaged in The Freedom Theatre’s annual Freedom Ride. The play includes stories from Jenin refugee camp and city, Fasayel, Dheisheh refugee camp, Mufaqara and Gaza.
In a sarcastic, comic and tragic style, the actors create the physical and emotional space they live in with their bodies on a very small stage – as small as Palestine.
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Glod: Political Theatre as a Civil Right presented Freedom Theatre’s Return to Palestine livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 25 January at 1 p.m. EST
Director: Micaela Miranda
Actors: Alaa Shehadeh / Amir Abu Al-Rob / Ihab Talahmeh / Motaz Malhees / Ranin Odeh / Samah Mahmoud
Musicians: Samer Abu Hantash / Nabil Al-Raee
Costumes: Normal in Black
Technicians: Adnan Naghnaghiye
Heroes of BB
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Together with local heroes, the international group of players will compete with each other and the audience in a merciless theatre show.
Nothing and nobody is spared. For this company, theatre is always about survival.
So that is what the actors in this unique theatre show are trying to do, save their butts! They don’t stop until everyone is lying on the ground, exhausted. There is hard fighting for the win, but even harder laughing.
A show to celebrate man and his insane attempts to survive in this world!
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Maskperformer
by Troupe Courage
Amsterdam | Balboaplein
“The actors all possess great mimicry skills, which allow them to portray any character they wish.” — Kester Frerik
Palestine
Comedy
Club
نادي فلسطين للكوميديا
Palestine Comedy Club is a comedy production company established in the UK and Palestine by Alaa Shehada, with assistance from comedy director, writer and researcher Dr. Sam Beale, and film producer, Charlotte Knowles.
Under the leadership of Alaa, 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.
Palestine Comedy Club’s first show, ‘Balad’ (بلد ) toured to venues in Ramallah, Nablus, Haifa, Nazareth, Jerusalem and Jenin in 2021. Performed by Alaa Shehada, Hanna Shammas, Raed Sheukhi, Diana Swity, 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.”
Palestine Comedy Club will also be delivering workshops throughout the year to encourage more performers to take up stand-up comedy and become part of the growing comedy ecosystem.
Alaa Shehada and Bassem Youssef at GlobeWien
Alaa Shehada at TEDxLondon (March 2025) with Nish Kumar, sharing the story of Palestine Comedy Club and how comedy bridges cultures, sparks dialogue, and inspires change.
Alaa Shehada at TEDxLondon (March 2025) with Nish Kumar, sharing the story of Palestine Comedy Club and how comedy bridges cultures, sparks dialogue, and inspires change.
Alaa Shehada at TEDxLondon (March 2025) with Nish Kumar, sharing the story of Palestine Comedy Club and how comedy bridges cultures, sparks dialogue, and inspires change.
Alaa Shehada at TEDxLondon (March 2025) with Nish Kumar, sharing the story of Palestine Comedy Club and how comedy bridges cultures, sparks dialogue, and inspires change.
Alaa Shehada at TEDxLondon (March 2025) with Nish Kumar, sharing the story of Palestine Comedy Club and how comedy bridges cultures, sparks dialogue, and inspires change.
Alaa Shehada at TEDxLondon (March 2025) with Nish Kumar, sharing the story of Palestine Comedy Club and how comedy bridges cultures, sparks dialogue, and inspires change.
Alaa Shehada at TEDxLondon (March 2025) with Nish Kumar, sharing the story of Palestine Comedy Club and how comedy bridges cultures, sparks dialogue, and inspires change.
Alaa Shehada at TEDxLondon (March 2025) with Nish Kumar, sharing the story of Palestine Comedy Club and how comedy bridges cultures, sparks dialogue, and inspires change.
Performing in Heroes of BB
Performing in Heroes of BB
Photography by Regash
Faisal Abu Alhayjaa, Khawla Ibraheem and Alaa Shehada after London Jenin wins Best Script and Best Directing at the Palestinian National Theatre Festival.
London Jenin wins Best Script and Best Directing at the Palestinian National Theatre Festival.
Director Amir Zuabe and lead actor Alaa Shehada accept the 'Best in Show' award for Return to Palestine at the Palestinian National Theatre Festival.
Red Noses International
Since 2016, Alaa has been bringing laughter, hope, and a touch of magic to those who need it most as a dedicated Clown Doctor with Red Noses International.
Through this work, he uplifts individuals facing difficult circumstances, offering moments of relief, connection, and positivity. Laughter is more than entertainment—it’s a powerful tool for emotional well-being and resilience. Whether working with children or communities in crisis, Alaa’s dedication to spreading happiness is unwavering. His work is a testament to the power of humor, art, and human connection.
To learn more, visit Red Noses International.