The Horse of Jenin
The Horse of Jenin is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at Pleasance Courtyard. It has 13 performances listed, running from Tue 18 Aug, 13:15 to Sun 30 Aug, 13:15. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.
About this show
Returning after a Fringe First award-winning, sold-out run, as a Rolling Stone Top 10 Show. This is a universal story of resilience and imagination, written and performed by comedian and actor Alaa Shehada. Blending storytelling, mask and stand-up, the show follows a boy growing up in Jenin, Occupied Palestine, who just wants to play. After a 2002 invasion, local children and a German artist built a five-metre horse from debris – a symbol of freedom and resistance. Destroyed in 2023, Shehada rebuilds the Horse on stage from fragments of memory, loss and hope. * (Guardian).
Details
- Venue: Pleasance Courtyard
- Space: Beyond
- Genre: THEATRE, Comedy, Storytelling
- Country: UNITED KINGDOM - ENGLAND
- Running time: 75 minutes
- Room size: about 299 seats (Beyond) — the Fringe box office sells a share of the room, not all of it
- Performances listed: 13, of which 0 still to come and on sale
Accessibility
- Wheelchair access: lift
- Access features: Step-free access, Accessible toilet, Hearing loop
- Venue notes: Accessible entry: Queue in cobbled courtyard. Access to space via locked lift, please notify venue ahead of your visit if you require use of the lift and ask at Info Shed upon arrival for access. Lift dimensions are 1200mm x 1200mm, max. weight 500kg. Performance space is on the First Floor with 20 steps up a permanent stone staircase with handrails. Wheelchair access type:Lift (Building Lift) Stairs: 11- 20 Number of stairs is provided as guidance and is not in addition to any wheelchair access type (lift/ramp etc) stated above.
What the reviewers said
We have captured 2 published reviews for this show from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s own listing. The excerpts below are the reviewers’ words, not ours — follow each link for the full review.
A performer who can seamlessly blend comedy and hard-hitting, emotional theatre is a rare find, but Alaa Shehada is certainly that.
— The Student (4 out of 5 stars)
A wonderful piece of storytelling which mixes stand-up, mask work and mime to depcit a tale which is both powerful and, in the end, uplifting.
— UK Theatre Web (5 out of 5 stars)
Performance dates and ticket availability
- Tue 18 Aug, 13:15 — Already performed — £17.00
- Wed 19 Aug, 13:15 — Already performed — £17.00
- Thu 20 Aug, 13:15 — Already performed — £17.00
- Fri 21 Aug, 13:15 — Already performed — £19.00
- Sat 22 Aug, 13:15 — Already performed — £19.00
- Sun 23 Aug, 13:15 — Already performed — £19.00
- Mon 24 Aug, 13:15 — Already performed — £17.00
- Tue 25 Aug, 13:15 — Already performed — £17.00
- Wed 26 Aug, 13:15 — Already performed — £17.00
- Thu 27 Aug, 13:15 — Already performed — £17.00
- Fri 28 Aug, 13:15 — Already performed — £19.00
- Sat 29 Aug, 13:15 — Already performed — £19.00
- Sun 30 Aug, 13:15 — Already performed — £19.00