alaa shehada
Actor, Comedian & Educator
“...one of the most important shows at this year’s Edinburgh festival.”
★★★★★ | British Theatre Guide
”A terrific tale of Palestinian life, laughter and tragedy under unimaginable pressure.”
★★★★★ | The Scotsman”
Alaa Shehada (Playwright, Actor and comedian ) is a Palestinian theatre maker whose work blends physical comedy, stand-up, and mask performance. A graduate of The Freedom Theatre Acting School in Jenin Refugee Camp – an institution nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024 – Shehada uses humor and storytelling to amplify Palestinian experiences on global stages.
His critically acclaimed solo show The Horse of Jenin offers a moving and humorous reflection on his upbringing in Jenin and has been performed internationally. The Horse of Jenin was awarded The Scotsman Fringe First Award, along with The Outwith Award for international talent. In 2025, he joined comedian Bassem Youssef on stage and delivered a TEDx London talk alongside comedian Nish Kumar.
Alaa is the co-founder of the Palestine Comedy Club, a pioneering platform for Palestinian comedians to share their stories and culture.
Awards
2018 — Best Show, Palestinian National Theatre Festival
2019 — Jury Award, International Festival of Liberal Theatre, Jordan
2019 — Best Script Co-Writer, London Jenin
2025 — The Horse of Jenin — Fringe First Award, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2025 — Alaa Shehada / The Horse of Jenin — Outwith Award for Best International Talent
NISH KUMAR & ALAA SHEHADA
How comedy can build empathy | Alaa Shehada & Nish Kumar | TEDxLondon
Current Projects
The Bridge
The Bridge is a very human tale of family and connection, hope and joy, set against the brutal truths of the impacts of colonialism and the broken promises of the British in Palestine. Telling the story of a Palestinian man leaving the West Bank via - The Bridge - into Jordan, the only way Palestinians leave the West Bank and return to Palestine. Writer and performer Alaa Shehada brings his high-energy mix of storytelling, stand-up and physical comedy to the story of his own journey, and the journeys of other travellers who join him on this bizarre road trip. Co-written with and directed by Sam Beale.
Palestine Comedy Club Documentary
Directed by Alaa Shehada, PCC Follows six Palestinian stand-up comedians (Alaa, Hanna, Diana, Khalil, Ebaa, Raed) who write and tour a stand-up comedy show exploring the unlikely, often dark humour that surrounds the complexity of Palestinian identity. What starts as a blending of comic traditions to encourage honest and open reflections through the shared enjoyment of laughter becomes an existential imperative to share common humanity.
Palestine Comedy Club was profiled at Cannes Docs and Toronto International Film Festival work-in-progress strands in 2024. The film has been invited to multiple festivals in 2025.
‘The horse in Arabic is a symbol of freedom. But to us, this horse is much more. This horse is us.’
PRESS
“A symbol of freedom and resistance you may be able to destroy, the idea behind it you cannot.”
— NRC Handelsblad
“The show never loses sight of Palestinian suffering, but Alaa also very confidently conveys an uplifting mood that includes many moments of humour, pride and hope.”
— Keith Mckenna, British Theatre Review
“The captivating solo show effortlessly holds the full spectrum of what it means to be human, conjuring everything from child-like silliness to unimaginable grief. Playing with masks and a keffiyeh, Shehada embodies his younger self, grandfather, mother, and more with humor, grace, and sincerity.”
— Under the Radar
Contact
Available for commissions worldwide
