Review: A GRAIN OF SAND, Arcola Theatre

Photo credit: Amir Hussain Ibrahimi

A Grain of Sand by Elias Matar is a play adapted from A Million Kites: Testimonies and Poems from the Children of Gaza by Leila Boukarim and Asaf Luzon. The one-woman show depicts Gaza through the eyes of Renad, a young Gazan girl searching for her family and a mythical Palestinian Phoenix, the Anqaa.

Sarah Agha as Renad succeeds in portraying the juvenile intimacy her character necessitates. The youthfulness of her portrayal when paired with real children’s verbatim accounts of the Gazan genocide is sobering. It would be impossible to see this production without considering one’s own privilege or position in the world.

Matar’s writing and direction is very ambitious, seeking to weave the testimonies and poems of children in Gaza with the story of Renad. At times, the testimonial asides are very powerful, but at others, they do not seamlessly gel with Renad’s accounts of family and Palestinian folklore. This sometimes leads to a piece that feels quite fragmented and disjointed.

Natalie Pryce’s set and costume design succeeds in furthering the intimacy that Sarah Agha’s vulnerability engenders. The use of real sand and its spreading from a mound across the stage as Renad’s story develops is brilliant. It echoes the play’s location and Renad’s childhood play while showing how easily order can be undone, serving as a powerful metaphor.

The play’s cri de coeur demands an audience work to facilitate future storytelling from the people currently in Gaza. This play is part of the richer tapestry of Palestinian stories that need to be heard, and the message at its core is one of humanity and empathy for persecuted people that need our attention.

*** Three stars

Reviewed by: Jeff Mostyn

A Grain of Sand plays at London’s Arcola Theatre until 31 January, with further info here.

A Grain of Sand also tours until end of March. For full dates and venues, please visit https://www.goodchance.org.uk/agrainofsand