Jogging

By Hanane Hajj Ali

In collaboration with Eric Deniaud and Abdallah AlKafri

اضغط هنا للوصول للنص العربي

(click here for Arabic translation) 

 

“Who is Medea today in a torn city like Beirut?”

 

Hanane Hajj Ali is many women. She is a Lebanese actor and playwright. A feminist and a political activist. A mother and a wife. In her award-winning play Jogging, a humorous, revealing and finally dark performance, she inhabits four women: herself; the Medea of Euripides’s ancient Greek tragedy; and two contemporary Lebanese women, one who kills her children and herself, and another who sacrifices her children to the wars of the Middle East. The question that Hanane asks herself is: “Who is Medea today in a torn city like Beirut”?

 

As a now fifty-something year old woman, Hanane exercises daily to avoid osteoporosis, obesity, and depression. The effects of her daily routine are contradictory. As a matter of fact, two hormones are stimulated in her body: Dopamine and Adrenaline. Two hormones that are alternatively destructive and constructive, amidst a city of Beirut that destroys to build and builds to destroy.

Alone on stage, jogging, Hanane – woman, wife and mother – lifts the veil on her identity. While becoming an ‘unveiled’ performer, her multiple personas progressively parade to fit together like Russian dolls, with the exploration of Medea’s motivations as a central theme.

This performance is spoken in Arabic, with English surtitles.

On Friday 1 April, a Dutch Sign Language interpreter will be present.

Side programmes

Spotlight Talk | Friday 1 April

 

During our after show Spotlight Talk, we talk a bit more about Hanane’s play, life, art and politics in Beirut. We will do this with two special guests: author and Arabist Petra Stienen and journalist Ana van Es.

Iftar | Sunday 3 April

 

Because this performance takes place during the Ramadan, all Sunday visitors will be offered an Iftar after the performance, after sunset. Prior to the Iftar, we would like to give space to break the fasting and pray. With food provided by local Libanese restaurant Meza, included in the ticket price.

Dates, Venues & Tickets

Running time performance: 80 min. 

 

Stadsschouwburg Utrecht

Tuesday 29 March 2022 | 20:30

Tickets via Stadsschouwburg Utrecht

 

Zaal 3 The Hague

Friday 1 April 2022 | 20:30 | with Spotlight Talk | With Dutch Sign Language

Tickets: €16,50 – €25,00

 

Saturday 2 April 2022 | 20:30

Tickets: €14,00 – €22,50

 

Sunday 3 April 2022 | 18:30 | with Iftar 

Tickets: €19,00 – €27,50

 

Schools and universities can still book this show between 25 March – 4 April 2022. Read more here.

Accessibility

  • The event is wheelchair accessible.
  • This performance uses Arabic spoken language, with English surtitles.
  • On Friday 1 April, a Dutch Sign Language interpreter will be present.
  • For more information about the accessibility of our shows, click here.
  • More questions about the accessibility of this event? Please send an email to production@theenglishtheatre.nl.

Thanks to:

 

 

 

 

 

Municipality of The Hague

 

 

 

 

 

Fonds voor de Podiumkunsten