Palestine Comedy Club review roving performance collective finds light in darkness

"They are exploring the nature of comedy and standup as a response to being a Palestinian now. This documentary follows the group as they attempt to put together a national tour, with shows in Ramallah, Nablus, Haifa, Nazareth and Jerusalem. In so doing, they encounter the basic problem of struggling through roadblocks, and sheer dismay and horror at the wholesale destruction of the war between Israel and Hamas."

"We also see how members of the company find themselves, in effect, in exile in Amsterdam and Berlin and experiencing the existential pain of loneliness and homesickness. Things are further complicated at one stage, by being in London the seat of empire for a particular show, making it clear that the British are the imperial villains of all this."

"Shehada as he says that over here, he gets solemn and supportive mmmms instead of laughs the audiences mulling over it, perhaps laughing later when they've had time to think. There is something refreshingly high-minded about Shehada's insistence on the urgency of making art in times like these."

Palestine Comedy Club is a theatre collective founded by Alaa Shehada from Jenin and Sam Beale from the UK that uses comedy as a response to contemporary Palestinian life. The documentary follows their attempt to organize a national tour across Ramallah, Nablus, Haifa, Nazareth, and Jerusalem while confronting roadblocks, destruction from the Israel-Hamas war, and members' experiences of exile in Amsterdam and Berlin. The group performs in London, where British imperialism becomes a focal point of criticism. The documentary explores how Palestinian comedy functions differently across audiences, with Western audiences responding with contemplative silence rather than laughter. Shehada emphasizes the importance of creating art during times of crisis, presenting a high-minded approach to comedy as urgent cultural expression.

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