Abstract
This essay explores how Kamel EL-Basha’s theatre production Following the Footsteps of Hamlet (2013) preaches unity and resistance in a post-2006 divided Palestine. After giving a brief historical account of the causes of the internal Palestinian political divisions that distract Palestinians from achieving liberation, the article traces how El-Basha uses theatrical devices such as the chorus and the ghost to materialise a sense of unification in the theatrical space. The analysis draws on other international theatrical practices like Einar Schleef’s (1980) ‘Choric Theatre’ and cites critical works such as Nietzsche’s The Birth of Tragedy (1872) to locate El-Basha’s theatrical practice in a broader context regarding the significance of the chorus in dramatising unity. The essay also traces how the performance of traditional Palestinian songs, ululation, dances like dabke and other rituals in the play, help foster Palestinian identity and shape their sumud (steadfastness) in facing the occupation. Finally, the essay focuses on the role of the ghost in evoking nostalgia in the audience for the days of unity and collective resistance promoted by the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat before his death.
Highlights
Palestinians have shown firm resistance to the Israeli occupation since 1948 and have been unified in their legitimate struggle for liberation
The division within the internal Palestinian politics can be traced back to the general election following the death of Yasser Arafat, the previous Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), and President of the Palestinian National
One of the theatrical devices used by EL-Basha in his performance is the employment of two choruses who played the roles of Hamlet and Ophelia instead of individual actors
Summary
Palestinians have shown firm resistance to the Israeli occupation since 1948 and have been unified in their legitimate struggle for liberation. This has exacerbated tensions for Palestinians already living under occupation and suffering the impacts of the Israeli Separation Wall that has divided. Since 2007, the Palestinian leadership has been divided, with Hamas governing the Gaza Strip and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority governing the West Bank. This political rift has persisted for the fifteen years, causing more problems for Palestinians seeking liberation from the Israeli occupation. The Palestinian dramas produced after 2006 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip focused on the political split between Fatah and Hamas as on addressing the Israeli occupation. A black curtain is used as a backdrop to the playing area, and black was evident in the characters’ dress which consisted of long black robes with red scarfs, or kufiya, draped around the actors’ shoulders
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