Review: MAJENIN – A Palestinian Love Story (مجانين), Pleasance Dome

MAJENIN – A Palestinian Love Story is a refreshing piece of new writing about falling in love in the shadow of a war. 

Something happens when one falls in love. You go stir crazy, waiting, hoping, and longing. MAJENIN, meaning ‘crazy people’ in Arabic, nods to the madness of the event and losing oneself in the highs of romance. But at its heart, the story is also about the complex feelings of straddling multiple belongings as a diasporic Palestinian, and the expectations of living across worlds. 

Marena Riyad, who also wrote the script, plays a fictional version of herself, a comedian looking for love. The show starts as a stand-up set in New York. The jokes shift between the personal and political and don’t shy away from talking about occupation, leaving audiences visibly uncomfortable, unsure whether they’re allowed to laugh. It’s a delicious provocation that cleverly sets the tone for the rest of the play.

Riyad’s character meets a fellow Palestinian artist (George Kreitem) after the gig, and the show transforms into a more conventional theatre piece. It’s a meet-cute perfect on paper – they’re both single, both diasporic Palestinians, both artists. Only someone like him understands her world and the cultural weight of finding love as an immigrant Palestinian. He turns out to be the perfect gentleman (until he isn’t); handsome and sweet, never pushy and always responsive to her needs, the kind of person mom would approve of. It’s easy to see why she falls hard and fast for him. 

Midway through, Riyad’s character splits into two persons – a narrator and inside voice, played by Riyad, and an outer embodied Marena, played by Nadia Dawber. While confusing at first, the introduction of a narrator elevates the piece from a traditional rom-com and its accompanying melodrama into a story that’s more reflective and personal, and more in line with Riyad’s roots in stand-up comedy.

It’s the humanising aspects of the play that make MAJENIN so compelling. The characters go to work, navigate precarious first dates, negotiate parental expectations, want ordinary things, and fall in love, hard, like everybody else. In between dates, they debate the merits of their favourite foods, drink their favourite tea, and dance to Palestinian and Arabic hits, seamlessly introducing audiences to the rich diversity of Palestinian culture. The characters resist being pigeonholed into global narratives of victimhood, while still acknowledging the impacts of the war on their lives.  

MAJENIN is a story full of heart – sharp and funny, emotional, and very real. The play is as much a love letter to diaspora and the complexities of living between worlds in a highly contested political environment as it is a love story about romance. Riyad’s writing tells a unique story not often seen on stage and makes for a joyful afternoon at the theatre.

Playwright: Marena Riyad
Director: Maiya Pascouche
Producer: Natalie Chan 
Presented by Kufiya Comedy and Aisha Josiah, in association with Pleasance Theatres, Passion Pit Theatre, and Amos Trust

MAJENIN – A Palestinian Love Story plays at the Pleasance Dome (Ten Dome) until Monday 31 August as part of the Edinburgh Fringe