The Beekeeper of Aleppo - Nottingham Playhouse Review

Review by Mark

Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review.

After its 2023 world premiere and a successful sell-out tour, The Beekeeper of Aleppo returns to Nottingham Playhouse, and it is just as captivating as ever.

Farah Saffari and Adam Sina. Photo by Manuel Harlan.

The story follows Nuri, a beekeeper, and his wife Afra, a talented artist, who enjoy a life filled with warmth, family, and community in their beloved Aleppo. However, their lives are shattered by the harsh realities of war, forcing them to flee everything they once knew. The play doesn’t shy away from the brutal consequences of conflict. Instead, it delves deep into the raw emotions of loss, danger, and the resilient human spirit. At its core, it is a poignant exploration of the connections that bind us all—between family, friends, and even strangers.

Throughout their travels, Nuri and Afri meet everyone from useless sympathisers to a violent sex trafficker. By the time they reach the UK, the danger shifts from physical threats to the cold, dispassionate world of bureaucracy. It’s a heartbreaking look at how we treat refugees today; we either look the other way or bury them under endless paperwork. Despite being skilled and experienced professionals, they are sidelined by rules that seem designed to stop them from ever truly arriving, let alone contributing to their new home.

Directed by Antony Almeida, this production is visually stunning, thanks to the thoughtful design by Ruby Pugh and the reflective lighting by Ben Ormerod. The sound, crafted by Tingying Dong, enhances the emotional landscape, while Zsolt Balogh’s video design brings a dynamic aspect to the storytelling. Elaha Soroor’s original compositions create a hauntingly beautiful backdrop that lingers long after the curtains close. Powerful moments are created through the visual and sound design.

The cast delivers powerful performances that resonate with authenticity. Adam Sina embodies Nuri’s strength and vulnerability, while Farah Saffari brings an emotional depth to Afra that makes her plight deeply relatable. Sina is astonishing to watch; he has a captivating aura to him and carries the emotional weight of the story with real skill. Together with Saffari, they create the key central relationship, from which we get glimpses of their happy lives before seeing the toll that the journey takes on them.

The company. Photo by Manuel Harlan.

Joseph Long gives a standout performance as Mustafa and Moroccan Man. He has a lighter tone to his delivery. The Moroccan Man, referring to Nuri as 'geezer' throughout, whilst you feel the warmth of Mustafa, who is sending emails from Yorkshire, where he has already arrived in England. Dona Atallah is compelling as young boy Mohammed, whom Nuri and Afri meet along their journey and take under their care. Atallah has a playful nature to their performance, whilst adding a different feeling of connection between the characters.

The entire company excels with most multi-rolling between a variety of characters. Each plays an important part in the tension and emotion of the journey. Though occasionally the dialogue is so softly spoken that it becomes illegible even in the stillness and silence that the play creates.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo is far from a "comfortable" watch; it forgoes easy laughs and spectacle for something much deeper. This is mature, vital theatre that demands to be heard, offering a somber examination of war, displacement, and profound loss. Eschewing melodrama, the production relies on a thoughtful, character-driven pace that remains genuinely gripping throughout. It is a quiet yet devastating piece that forces the audience to confront the true horror of being driven from one’s home.

Expertly acted and directed, the play leans into silence, allowing its emotional weight to settle rather than rushing to the next beat. It poses difficult questions without the pretense of easy answers. It is heavy, yes, but it is an essential story—one that bridges the gap between seeing a tragedy and truly hearing it. Christy Lefteri’s narrative, in both its literary and theatrical forms, remains a necessary and haunting piece of work that absolutely deserves to be heard.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Beekeeper of Aleppo runs at Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday, 28th February 2026. Tickets are available from https://nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/events/the-beekeeper-of-aleppo/

The show plays on tour, running until Saturday 13th June 2026. For tour dates and venues, visit https://www.ukproductions.co.uk/theatre-productions/the-beekeeper-of-aleppo/

Farah Saffari, Adam Sina and Dona Atallah. Photo by Manuel Harlan.