Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada has won a Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for The Bridge, a one-man show written and performed by Shehada that transforms a difficult journey between the occupied West Bank and Jordan into a moving story about family, separation and everyday life under occupation.
Presented by the Palestine Comedy Club, The Bridge blends storytelling, stand-up and physical comedy as Shehada recounts travelling from his home in the occupied West Bank to Jordan with olive oil from that year’s harvest.
A Journey That Goes Beyond the Border
The olive oil is a gift from Shehada’s mother in Jenin to her sister in Amman. But what begins as a simple family gesture becomes a long and complicated journey through Palestinian, Israeli, and Jordanian checkpoints.
The crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan is only around 180 metres long. Yet, as Shehada told journalists ahead of the festival, the wider process of making the journey can take up to 12 hours.
That contrast sits at the heart of The Bridge, with the frustrations, delays and absurdities of the journey becoming a source of humour while also reflecting the realities Palestinians face when travelling.
Finding Comedy in Separation
Across its 70-minute runtime, the show uses comedy to explore more than just one difficult journey. Shehada also looks at the symbolic importance of the crossing for Palestinians, the experience of separation from family and the history of British involvement in Palestine.
For Shehada, comedy is also a way to challenge how Palestinians are often portrayed to international audiences.
“Comedy has many ways of reaching people,” Shehada told The National. “First, it breaks the stereotypes about Palestinians because international comedy has one stereotype about how Palestinians look and act.”
Through humour, The Bridge offers audiences a more personal look at Palestinian life, placing family, everyday frustrations and human connection at the centre of the story.
A Second Fringe First Award for Shehada
The award marks the second consecutive year that Shehada has received a Fringe First at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
His previous production, The Horse of Jenin, won a Fringe First in 2025, making this year’s recognition another milestone in his growing international theatre career.
Shehada also co-founded the Palestine Comedy Club in 2019. The organisation runs comedy workshops across the West Bank and tours internationally, using comedy and theatre to bring Palestinian stories and perspectives to audiences around the world.
With The Bridge, Shehada once again turns a deeply personal Palestinian experience into a story that can connect with audiences far beyond the journey itself.
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