The power of Scenes From 68* Years lies not in showing us war, bombs and battles, but in its observations of human suffering in the every day lives of people affected by conflict. Somehow this is so much more painful to watch. This play shows a series of snapshots of the lives of Palestinians living in The State of Israel since it’s creation in 1948 to present day. We watch seemingly typical activities like delivering Cola to a shop, obtaining a passport at the passport office and having a picnic. All activities and events are marred and overshadowed by the reality of living in this society. Our hearts break as we watch, for example, an elderly man sitting in a house he has lived in for over 30 years, refusing to mend the leaks in his roof in the confidence and expectation that he will soon be allowed to go home – so why mend the roof, it’s only temporary right? Another man is told he cannot obtain a passport because he has too many names, checkpoints for deliveries are opened and closed at random and a group of women cannot have a picnic without having their bags checked over and over again by soldiers. We watch the characters living in a society where they are not welcome. It is a powerful look at a people who have been displaced; they have no home, despite their only wish being to return to it.

A strong cast of six embody multiple characters in various unconnected scenes throughout the production. The depths of emotion on show are hauntingly commanding. These are very strong performers. Through bleak humour at times, and delightful optimism at others, this cast manage to guide us through feelings of joy and hope to hopelessness and isolation. They take us on their journeys and leave us in a place of grim seclusion. Also included in the production is a Palestinian actress who is connected to the production via Skype on a computer screen. I admit that I am still pensive as to the relevance of this. It takes nothing away from the play, but adds nothing either.

Written by Hannah Khalil, a Palestinian/Irish playwright, Scenes From 68* Years is a fascinating and heart-breaking play of a different kind. It plays on our ability to read between the lines. Tragedy is not displayed to us on stage and often the characters make light of their situations in a darkly humorous way. Perhaps that is why we are hit so strongly by it’s heartrending impact. It is imaginatively directed by Chris White, who creates the world of each scenario clearly and with a basic set of furniture debris. The transitions between scenes are seamless and a potentially confusing play (in the wrong hands) is made easy and intelligible to watch.

Scenes from 68* Years displays, tragically, a people who are in limbo… a people desperate to simply go home. It shows us just how complex an idea so simple can be.

Scenes from 68* Years is playing at the Arcola Theatre until 30 April. For more information and tickets, see the Arcola Theatre website. Photo: Ellie Kurttz