The Horse of Jenin

Cast & Creatives

• Alaa Shehada

  Writer & Performer

  
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  Alaa Shehada

  Writer & Performer

  Alaa Shehada is a Palestinian actor, comedian and graduate of The Freedom Theatre Acting School in Jenin Refugee Camp, a company nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024. As co-founder of the Palestine Comedy Club, he has helped build a platform for Palestinian comedians to share their stories, humour and cultural perspectives with audiences locally and internationally. Alongside his work in comedy, Alaa is a Clown Doctor with Red Noses International in the West Bank, leads workshops for emerging performers, and is an artistic core member of Troupe Courage in Amsterdam. His performances have taken him across the US, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and the UK. He has appeared with renowned satirist Bassem Youssef and delivered a TEDx talk in London with British comedian Nish Kumar. Blending theatre, stand-up and community engagement, Alaa uses humour as a tool for connection, resistance and creative expression, offering audiences an intimate look at life under occupation.

• Sam Beale

  Comedy consultant & Co-writer

  
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  Sam Beale

  Comedy consultant & Co-writer

  Dr Sam Beale is a comedy director, writer, researcher and teacher. She regularly collaborates internationally with comedians, theatre companies, community groups and festivals to create performances and facilitate comedy projects. She is director of Funny Side Collective, co-founder/co-artistic director of Palestine Comedy Club (PalCom), and has worked with Alaa Shehada since 2017, creating and touring comedy shows in Palestine and the UK. Sam has also taught stand-up comedy and solo performance practices for over 25 years, regularly writes about the history and practice of comedy and speaks about comedy and social change at international events. She is the author of The Comedy & Legacy of Music Hall Women 1880-1920: Brazen Impudence and Boisterous Vulgarity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020).

• Katrien van Beurden

  Director

  
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  Katrien van Beurden

  Director

  Katrien van Beurden is a director, actor and founder of Troupe Courage. Trained at the School of Arts Utrecht (HKU) and later in the United States with Carol O’Connor, she went on to specialise in commedia dell’arte with teachers including Antonio Fava in Italy. Her international work spans theatre-making, teaching and directing, with collaborations at institutions such as The Freedom Theatre in Jenin, NYU Tisch, Act Fit Change in Ghana and several Dutch theatre and film academies. Katrien also directs music-based projects and has created work with artists such as Remy van Kesteren at the Concertgebouw and Dominique Vleeshouwers and Arend Bruijn. As an actor, she has appeared in films including De Wederopstanding van een Klootzak and the series Rampvlucht. In 2017 she contributed the concluding chapter to a Routledge publication on commedia dell’arte. She was appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2023 in recognition of her artistic and social commitment.

• Thomas van Ouwerkerk

  Director

  
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  Thomas van Ouwerkerk

  Director

  Thomas van Ouwerkerk is an actor and director with a strong background in physical theatre. He graduated from the School of Arts Utrecht (HKU) and later trained in physical acting and clowning at L’École Philippe Gaulier in Paris, followed by workshops at the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. His work brings together movement, mask, clown and devised performance, with a focus on visual storytelling. Thomas is an artistic core member of Troupe Courage and collaborates widely as both a performer and maker. Since 2012 he has worked with Jakop Ahlbom Company, performing internationally in productions such as Horror, staged at the Sydney Opera House and Théâtre Paris-Villette. In 2016 he joined the renowned mask-theatre ensemble Familie Flöz, appearing in Teatro Delusio and FESTE and touring to more than 400 theatres worldwide. He is also part of the collective Thomas, Sacha and Jos, which has brought the stories of Toon Tellegen to Dutch audiences since 2013.

• Den Durand

  Mask Artist

  
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  Den Durand

  Mask Artist

  Den Durand is a master maskmaker who has been crafting leather theatre masks since graduating from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués in Paris. Since 1985 mask-making has been his full-time profession, and his work has become widely recognised within the international theatre community. He collaborates with conservatories, drama schools and theatre companies around the world, creating masks for performers working in traditions ranging from commedia dell’arte to contemporary physical theatre. Durand has maintained a long-standing creative partnership with the Amsterdam-based company Courage, contributing masks to numerous productions. He is also an experienced masked performer and continues to explore the craft through practice-based research and teaching. His masks, known for their craftsmanship and expressive detail, are used by artists and ensembles globally and support a wide range of theatrical styles and training methods. Durand remains dedicated to developing the form and keeping the art of mask performance alive on international stages.

• Maarten Bos

  Dramaturg

  
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  Maarten Bos

  Dramaturg

  Maarten Bos is a dramaturg and writer who graduated from the Master’s programme in Dramaturgy at the University of Amsterdam. He has worked with a wide range of national and international theatre makers and companies, including Werkplaats van de Woestijne, De Jonge Honden, Troupe Courage and Tryater. His practice focuses on collaborative creation, narrative structure and the relationship between performer, text and audience. Maarten is a core faculty member at the Academy of Theatre and Dance (ATKA) in Amsterdam, where he teaches dramaturgy across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Alongside his theatre work, he writes short stories and performs them on stages across the Netherlands. In 2019 he created the podcast Talking About Depression, engaging professionals and people with lived experience in reflective conversations about mental health. His work combines analytical precision with a sensitivity to personal storytelling, supporting theatre-makers in developing thoughtful and imaginative performance.

• Remy van Kesteren

  Composer

  
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  Remy van Kesteren

  Composer

  Remy van Kesteren is a harpist and composer known for expanding the expressive potential of his instrument. He entered the Utrecht Conservatoire at age ten, later studying in Paris and completing his master’s degree summa cum laude at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Early in his career he gained international recognition, with The New York Times describing him as a “brilliant harpist.” After years on classical stages, Remy broadened his artistic path, blending classical technique with electronic, experimental and popular influences. Following the Dutch Music Prize in 2016 and his album Tomorrow Eyes, he began performing in a wide range of spaces, from concert halls to clubs and festivals. He created the Analogue Robot Orchestra, collaborated across dance, film and contemporary music, and developed new performance formats. His compositions are performed internationally and reach large audiences through streaming platforms. Remy continues to innovate and reimagine the role of the harp in contemporary music.

• Khalil al Batran

  Composer

  
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  Khalil al Batran

  Composer

  Khalil Al Batran is a Palestinian theatre director, actor and musician whose work brings together performance, sound and contemporary storytelling. He holds a degree in Drama and Theatre from the Drama Academy Ramallah and Folkwang University, where he developed an approach grounded in physicality, voice and movement. Beginning his career as an actor, he gradually integrated music into his theatrical work before transitioning into directing in 2019. Khalil co-founded the Athar Group for Independent Theatre Production and is an experienced trainer, teaching performance practices at The Freedom Theatre School in Jenin and in wider community settings. His acting work includes Corpse Under the Rubble, and his directing projects include I Will Betray My Country, Brainwashers, Bridge, Strange Identity, Fulana and Still Waiting. His work often explores themes of identity, resistance and political tension, and he continues to develop theatre that expands the possibilities of contemporary Palestinian performance.

• Lily Dawford

  Technical Manager

  
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  Lily Dawford

  Technical Manager

  Lily Dawford is a London-based lighting designer (and fool) whose work has taken them from Edinburgh Fringe to the West End and back, with more than a few international escapades along the way. Lily studied at Goldsmiths, University of London where their love of all things beautifully strange was solidified. They thrive on creating work that pushes the boundaries of conventional design to build powerful, thought provoking spaces. They have worked as a lighting designer for productions such as Classic Penguins (Garry Starr); ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (Julia Masli); Weer (Natalie Palamides); Philosophy of the World (In Bed With My Brother); CAttS , Body Show (Frankie Thompson); Body Show, Swarm , Jack the Mack (Liv Ello); Inside Everyone (Adrian Bliss); Stamptown, Jack Tucker (Zach Zucker/Stamptown Comedy).

• Qasim Salam

  Co-Producer

  
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  Qasim Salam

  Co-Producer

  Qasim Salam is a producer with a decade of experience in theatre and comedy. He co-founded Salam & Holohan Productions, producing bold artists with big hearts and championing diverse, original voices. He has produced award-winning Palestine Comedy Club shows including The Horse of Jenin and Palestine: Peace de Resistance, and previously produced established comic stars such as Al Murray, Russell Howard, Jordan Gray, Sophie Duker, and Flo & Joan.