MAJENIN

  • "This show asks the audience to look beyond trauma, to sit with these Palestinian characters as people with ambitions, worries, daily annoyances and a sense of joy... "

    — One4Review ★★★★

  • “Majenin is a perfectly balanced narrative. Toeing the lines between stand-up and theatre, comedy and poignancy, it is a play that refuses to be forgotten.”

    — The Student ★★★★★

  • "An intriguing, affecting show… sincere, heartfelt [and] penetrating its subject.”

    — FringeReview, DARING WORK

  • “The movement between comedy and politics is masterfully written, allowing the audience to confront uncomfortable material without losing the humour and warmth at the heart of the story.”

    — Binge Fringe ★★★★

  • “A play that seems acutely aware of the boundaries of its medium and exactly where to push them.”

    — The Student ★★★★★

  • “The subversive interplay between the two is a testament to Riyad’s awareness of the boundaries of each medium, and how far and where these can be pushed.”

    — EdFringe Review


The love Story

Majenin - a Palestinian love story is a Silver EFFTA Award winning critically acclaimed play.

Majenin is an Arabic word meaning ‘crazy people’, about the madness of love that occupies oneself once you surrender to it. It is an intimate love story unfolding between London and New York between two Palestinian artists. Blending theatre and stand-up, the piece moves from romantic realism to psychological interiority, bookended with stand-up comedy routines, with the protagonist split between her outer self and her inner ‘lover girl’ narrator. The audience will witness both her surrender to love and the self-awareness of her unravelling in real time.

In tone, it's similar to Before Sunrise and the confessional sharpness of Fleabag, drawing on the mythological Arabic storytelling of Layla and Majnun.

Past Shows:
Aug 1st, 7pm, Preview at Pleasance London
Aug 5-31st, 11:45am, Edinburgh Fringe at Pleasance 10 Dome

Upcoming Shows:
April 2027, Dallas, TX AT&T Performing Arts Center