Rebels and Patriots Review

Rebels and Patriots Review

8th-13th, 15th-20th & 22nd-26th August 2024

Rebels & Patriots started as diary entries during Writer and Ensemble Member Nadav Burstein’s three-year conscription to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The company behind the production Floating Shed prides itself on being an Israeli / Palestinian / British collaboration and cast.

The performance starts with four young Israeli men singing a slow and moving version of Israeli group The Angelcy’s My Baby Boy (is in the army). The cast then leaps to its feet to the banging of a drum for the introductory speech in Shakespearean verse, questioning the Israeli / Palestinian conflict and playing on Shylock’s famous speech from The Merchant of Venice: “Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not an Arab eyes?”

Each of the four men have a different story behind them: Omri (Nadav Burstein), a Jew who is conscripted; Adam (Harvey Schorah), who has a disease like Crohn’s and was exempt; Yonatan (Tom Dalrymple), a pilot; Osher, whose mum is Jewish and Dad is an Arab, who willingly wants to be in the IDF.

“This is a very important play at a pivotal moment in history”

After the impressive and explosive opening, the play settled down to a series of conversations between the men, sat around smoking marijuana. Whilst the subject matters included mental health, protests, inner conflict, violence and political viewpoints, the middle of the play lost momentum, and more physicality and emotion was needed. The performance was concluded effectively with a moving speech on the conflict from Omri.

This is a very important play at a pivotal moment in history, which deserves to be seen more but needs a little work in parts.

Rhea Shepherd

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