The reviews are in for The Bridge, the Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada’s second solo show at the Bush Theatre, written with its director Sam Beale and first seen at this summer’s Edinburgh Fringe. Shehada plays himself on his yearly trip from Jenin to Amman with a leaking container of his family’s olive oil, and almost everyone he meets on the 180-metre, twelve-hour crossing into Jordan. The critics agree on the performer: his crowd-work, timing and quick-change character comedy draw praise in every notice, and most say the laughter makes the darker moments hit harder. Where they part company is on the length, with several finding the gags stretched, and on the projected quotes from early 20th-century British politicians, which some call a sharp device and others an add-on.
3.9 / 5 from 12 criticsThe verdict: thirteen reviews in so far: one five-star notice, nine at four stars (The Stage among them), two at three and one unrated, an average of 3.9 out of 5. Every critic is won over by Alaa Shehada as a comic performer and a one-man gallery of characters; the reservations, from The Standard and BroadwayWorld above all, are that the show runs a little long and some routines outstay their welcome.
What are critics saying about The Bridge?
Theatre Weekly
Reviewer: Maggie O'Shea
O'Shea is the warmest of the critics, singling out Shehada's character work: a jovial, shuddering taxi driver, a forgetful old hajji and a Jordanian guard who wants him to perform Shakespeare.
"…Shehada and Beale pull it off flawlessly, offering a show as gag-packed as any top-shelf comedy."
She finds the projected illustrations pretty rather than essential, but says the real stakes and the history lesson make the evening a winner.
WhatsOnStage
Reviewer: Aliya Al-Hassan
Al-Hassan reads the yellow container of olive oil as the heart of the piece, a symbol of steadfastness, and admires how the show lets projected quotes from British politicians make the political case for it.
"…a fast-paced, funny and captivating production that astutely connects the gap between warm comedy and sobering reality."
She calls it part play, part stand-up, and notes how late, and how hard, the mention of the settlers lands.
LondonTheatre.co.uk
Reviewer: Cheryl Markosky
Markosky enjoys the gallery of characters met on the road, from the self-styled Bridge Expert behind the wheel to the Eyeliner Girl Alaa fancies.
"Shehada, a graduate of The Freedom Theatre Activity School in Jenin Refugee Camp, is a master at working the audience…"
Her one reservation is practical: on the thrust stage some punchlines are lost when delivered to the far side, and the sound design can distract.
The Reviews Hub
Reviewer: John Cutler
Cutler sets the show beside Shehada's earlier The Horse of Jenin and calls this one an odyssey of quiet heroism, built from what feels like dozens of encounters.
"…Shehada brings them to life with immense comedic skill and a sharp eye for detail."
He finds the projected quotes from 1920s British politicians oddly redundant in a story that is really about ordinary people keeping their dignity.
Everything Theatre
Reviewer: Matilda Beaumont
Beaumont praises Shehada's crowd-work and comic timing, and Lily Dawford's lighting, which turns a warm blue into a colour of oppression.
"This twinkle is a prelude to the comedic genius he unfolds over the course of the 80-minute production."
She would like a firmer edit, with some scenes and jokes running on too long, and wonders whether the Bush's solo-storyteller format is starting to repeat itself.
Pink Prince Theatre
Reviewer: Neill Kovacic-Clarke
Kovacic-Clarke calls Shehada a force of nature, with a precise gift for switching between characters and a physical comedy that does the work of a whole cast.
"…this is a vital, deeply moving, and uproariously funny night of theatre that you really shouldn't miss."
Only the acoustics on the three-sided stage, and pillars blocking the projections from the side seats, keep him from five stars.
Read Neill Kovacic-Clarke’s full review at Pink Prince Theatre
Liam O'Dell
Reviewer: Liam O'Dell
O'Dell credits Julius Pollux Rothlaender's sound design with some of the tensest moments, notably the droning air conditioning at the Israeli checkpoint.
"Funny, chilling and a little bit chaotic, you probably haven’t seen a road trip drama like this."
He finds some early lines hard to catch and the passport gag overlong, and thinks the colonial quotes hang over the story more than they connect to it.
Theatre and Tonic
Reviewer: Jasmine
For this critic the family's olive oil is what makes the show personal, and the audience interaction at the checkpoints is a highlight.
"‘The Bridge’ balances the tone beautifully, never understating the coldness of the occupation…"
Because the comedy is so assured, she says, the darker details land as a real shock.
Red Bus Londinium
The review admires Shehada's rapport with the room and the projected words of Balfour, Sykes and Allenby, though it finds the projections easier to follow from the front than from the side seats.
"Through humour, we are comfortable in Shehada’s company, even as he takes us on an uncomfortable, but real, journey."
It notes that the pacing lags and repeats in places, which arguably mirrors the bureaucracy on stage.
The Standard
Reviewer: Nick Curtis
Curtis enjoys Shehada's stand-up instincts and physical comedy, especially the taxi driver's reckless mountain driving, but says some jokes land only with those who know the region.
"…this is a first-hand, on-the-ground, observational theatre done with great wit."
He thinks even 80 minutes outstays its welcome, and that a silly closing coda undercuts the final revelation.
BroadwayWorld
Reviewer: Josh Maughan
Maughan admires how the show informs without lecturing, and how the interruptions from British statements of 1917-19 put the audience's own history in the room.
"His greatest strength is his physicality. He moves from fluidity to rigidity in an instant…"
He wants more economy, citing the cigarette smuggler's monologue, and wishes the production had taken its audience somewhere less comfortable.
All That Dazzles
Reviewer: Sam Waite
Waite finds Shehada's central performance, as a version of himself, the most effective thing in the show, and credits Sam Beale with keeping the open stage in constant, crowded motion.
"Shehada, however, uses his blend of storytelling and standup to bring a great deal of joy to the proceedings…"
He calls the result moving, relatable and urgently relevant.
Also reviewed by: The Stage (Dave Fargnoli, four stars, "legitimately nail-biting"), whose review sits behind a paywall.
For more from this autumn's openings, see our roundups of The Lives of Others at the Adelphi Theatre and The Moth at the Finborough Theatre.
The Bridge is booking at the Bush Theatre until 11 November.
