The Beekeeper of Aleppo

I had never read the book by Christy Lefteri on which this is based, so had no particular expectations of what I was going to see. What I did see was a beautifully crafted story of struggle, loss and hope, a tale of how Syria descended into internal war and its population were displaced both internally and as refugees.

The story centres around Nuri and Afra whose peaceful Syrian life is disrupted by the war and who, through many struggles, finally make it to the UK where they can begin to rebuild their shattered lives and minds. The people that they meet with on the way, who help or hinder their progress, are played by a versatile cast with each character clearly defined and credible.

The play overs a vast geographical area of course, and many situations, houses, parks, the sea, offices - all represented by a single, versatile set and some amazing projection effects. The overall impact is extremely effective though I did feel that the cast were having to work hard to push the play over into such a large auditorium as the Theatre Royal Plymouth presents.

Moving, effective and memorable - quite an evening.