Dragon Review: The Beekeeper of Aleppo – Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

Published on: 19 Mar, 2026
Updated on: 19 Mar, 2026

Dona Atallah (Sami), Nuri (Adam Sina) and Afra (Farah Saffari). Manuel Harlan

By Ferenc Hepp

Migration and asylum seekers are rarely far from the headlines, so it is good to see the subject covered dramatically in The Beekeeper of Aleppo which, this week, arrived at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.

It was originally a novel by Christy Lefteri, published in 2019, dealing with the plight of refugees from Aleppo in Syria to Europe during the Syrian Revolution.

The cast of The Beekeeper of Aleppo – Manuel Harlan

In 2023, Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler adapted the story for stage, and UK Productions have staged the production at various locations in the United Kingdom ever since.

This tour is directed by Anthony Almeida. The stage design by Ruby Pugh is made up of pastel, muted colours, which combine all the worlds where the action takes place.

There is a bed, a chair and a hatch door, all incorporated into what looks like rocks, and this forms a perfect backdrop to the numerous locations which range from Aleppo in Syria, to the UK Border, a GP Surgery and a Greek Island amongst others.

There is also some projection which is subtle and does not distract from the focus of the story; a very personal journey of a number of characters who seek asylum and refuge from troubled backgrounds in their own countries.

But the focus is on Nuri (Adam Sina), a beekeeper, and his wife Afra (Farah Saffari), an artist.

Along with Mustafa (Joseph Long), their lives are destroyed by war, and they are forced to escape after their beehives were set on fire and equipment stolen.

Dona Atallah (Sami), Nuri (Adam Sina) Manuel Harlan

Their intended destination is the UK, but Mustafa’s journey is separate from that of Nuri and Afra.

The timeline does jump forward and back throughout, but it is always made clear where we are and at what stage of their journey. As a result, emotions vary enormously from scene to scene, and we don’t experience a story told from beginning to end, but Sina, Saffari and Long all cope with this extremely well and we are completely absorbed into their trials, tribulations and personal journeys forming an of emotional roller coaster.

The characterisations are totally natural and believable, and our empathy grows throughout with each scene.

As a contrast, Alia Lahlou portrays a number of characters, such as a doctor and an immigration officer, who make this journey more difficult for this family, and this brings a sense of reality to what hurdles these asylum seekers have to overcome.

Mustafa (Joseph Long) Manuel Harlan

The cast is completed by Aram Mardourian, Princess Khumalo, Dona Atallah, Mohsen Ghaffari and Helena Massoud, all of whom give committed performances full of emotion and variety, which form part of this journey that the family take towards happiness.

However, this is not 100 per cent serious drama, there is also plenty of humour.

The style is a mixture of character acting and storytelling, and the underlying message is: “where there are bees, there is hope”.

There are not only bees in the UK, where this family is heading, but there are also bees in Syria.

There is also hope there, despite them having to escape horrible circumstances at the time. This is a very positive message, a very positive story, and it is told in a very interesting and personal way.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo runs until Saturday March 21 and tickets are available via
www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk or 01483 440000.