PERSIANS. Triumph of Empathy

NTGent / Action Zoo Humain / Chokri Ben Chikha

Persians. Triumph of Empathy is an extraordinary theatrical production directed by Chokri Ben Chikha. In this performance, he and six performers explore how to be more understanding and empathetic in a conflict that has been going on for decades: the conflict between Israel and Palestine. They do this by looking at one of the oldest plays in history, The Persians by the Greek writer Aeschylus.

Run time 80 minutes
Genre Theatre
Language Multilingual incl. surtitles

Dutch premiere

Please note. The performance contains authentic images from Israel and Palestine. There are sounds, images and scenes that can be emotionally intense and potentially shocking.

Persians. Triumph of Empathy

This play is about a war between the Greeks and the Persians, with the writer himself having fought against the Persians. The central question is: Did Aeschylus have empathy and understanding for his enemy, or did he primarily want to show how superior the Greeks were? By asking these questions, the performers look for connections between this ancient story and today's genocide in the Middle East.
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The performance, based on interviews Ben Chikha conducted in Israel and Palestine in January 2024, combines words, dance and music into a dazzling and moving whole. Persians. Triumph of Empathy thus balances between art and reality, opportunism and empathy.

Press

De Standaard

"Chokri Ben Chikha and Action Zoo Humain show in Persians. Triumph of Empathy the Israeli and Palestinian sides mourn, speak, play and dance with each other. ‘The biggest challenge’ they “ever faced” became a necessary and deliberate punch in the stomach."

PZAZZ

"But rarely do you see theatre that manages to confront fiction and current affairs, word and image, repertoire and performance so cleverly and punishingly. It is almost disconcerting to observe. It is precisely thanks to all the displacement this war aims for that art comes home to roost in ‘Persians’: risky, necessary, on the cutting edge."

Credits

concept, direction and choreography Chokri Ben Chikha
with and by Hellen Boyko, Liah Frank, Marah Haj Hussein, Mareille Labohm and Sofiane El Boukhari
text Erik-Ward Geerlings and performers
film Jan Beddegenoodts
dramaturgy Sietske de Vries
movement coaches Izah Hankammer and Daisy Phillips
soundscape Jo Thielemans
lightning design Dennis Diels
set design Karolien De Schepper
costume design Chloé Wasselin-Dandre
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production NTGent & Action Zoo Humain
coproduction Theater Rotterdam
partners City of Ghent and The Flemish Community
with the support of The Taxshelter of the Belgian Federal Government