SUPPLIANTS OF SYRIA
How do we respond to those who cross borders and what might we owe them when they arrive?
For over a decade, war in Syria has forced millions from their homes. Across Europe, displacement is framed as a threat rather than a human reality. Borders have tightened, the language around asylum has grown more hostile, and the voices of refugees themselves remain unheard.
This spring Border Crossings returns with SUPPLIANTS OF SYRIA, an interactive multimedia performance where stories collide, perspectives shift and no two nights are the same.
Inspired by Aeschylus’ Suppliants, the first drama to confront the politics of asylum and democracy, this new play brings urgent questions of refuge, responsibility and belonging into the present moment.
Developed through a month-long collaboration with Syrian refugee women in Turkey, the performance places first-hand accounts of displacement at its core. Filmed testimonies intertwine with music, movement, poetry and at times humour, to create a dialogue across time, gender and geography, between those who cross borders and those who draw them.
On stage, performers Tobi King Bakare, Vlad Gurdis and Albie Marber act as intermediaries, guiding the audience through a contemporary reimagining of this Ancient Greek tale.
At the centre of each night is a public debate involving the audience, opening space to listen, respond and think together.
BEFORE AND AFTER THE SHOW:
The performance is framed by an exhibition of visual art by artists from refugee backgrounds.
After each performance, the space is held open through live music, offering a moment of reflection and calm. Across the run, audiences are joined by The Amies Freedom Choirs, Sounds Like Home, Syrian oud player and composer Rihab Azar, and Syrian vocalist Rama Alcoutlabi.
The Amies Freedom Choirs work with young women who have survived trafficking, using group singing as a powerful means of confidence-building and cultural exchange.
Sounds Like Home is an open-access international women's choir based in Hoxton. It invites women of all backgrounds, ages and abilities to share songs from the places they’ve called home.
SUPPLIANTS OF SYRIA is a limited-run premiere event at Hoxton Hall. Tickets are sold via Hoxton Hall’s website.
In the press:
Suppliants of Syria: Syrian Women’s Stories on London Stage - StageLync
- Interview: Artistic Director Michael Walling -Culture Calling
Cast
Tobi King Bakare
Actor and writer whose work spans political theatre, physical performance and screen. Previous collaborations with Border Crossings include THE GREAT EXPERIMENT and THE GAZA MONOLOGUES. Recent work includes I May Destroy You and the West End production of For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy.
Vlad Gurdis
Theatre artist and writer working across devising, ensemble-led practice and socially engaged performance. Part of the leadership of Dublin-based Freshly Ground Theatre and an educational facilitator at the Abbey Theatre. Brings a strong cross-cultural perspective to the work.
Albie Marber
Writer and actor with experience across theatre, film and television, including the feature film Tolkien and work for ITV and Netflix. His stage work ranges from classical texts to contemporary new writing.
TEASER TRAILER
SUPPORTED BY
The development phases of SUPPLIANTS OF SYRIA was supported by the British Council’s Creative Collaborations Grant Programme, the Anna Lindh Foundation and Arts Council England. The premiere production is supported by Arts Council England. Arriving, Becoming, Belonging outreach project is supported by the National Lottery Community Fund.
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