Louis Linsey on ‘Hathaleen: The Unexpected Journey to Palestine’
After the success of our 2025 Camden Fringe Interviews, we thought it only right to attempt a repeat for 2026. So throughout July we’ll be publishing new interviews each day to give a taste of what to expect from London’s best fringe theatre festival. The festival starts Monday 3 August this year, so we may give ourselves a couple of days off inbetween the end of the interviews and the first shows… then again, we might not.
You can find out more about Camden Fringe, along with details of every show playing this August here. You can also find all of this year’s interviews as they are published here.
How does a journey that begins as a farcical, impulse-driven attempt to win back an ex-girlfriend transform into an eye-opening confrontation with reality?
Heading to Arches Lane Theatre this August for Camden Fringe 2026, Hathaleen: The Unexpected Journey to Palestine delivers a high-octane, chaotic, and emotionally charged black comedy drama. Written by Louis Linsey and based loosely on his own real-life experiences in the West Bank, the play balances sharp comedy with profound heartbreak.
Timed around the anniversary of the murder of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen, the production uses fast-paced storytelling, over 100 props, and a standout lead performance to honour real lives while raising crucial funds for communities on the ground. We spoke with Louis about balancing jester-like comedy with raw vulnerability, raising money for Awdah’s village, and what makes this story so urgent right now.
If you had to describe the vibe of Hathaleen in just one sentence, what would it be?
A chaotic, mad emotional rollercoaster of a black comedy drama as a hopeless romantic abruptly travels to the West Bank to try to win back his pro-Palestinian ex-girlfriend.
Why is 2026 the crucial time for this story to be brought to the stage?
This play is loosely based on my own experiences and the murder of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen by the settler Yinon Levy. The anniversary of his death is on 28th July. Awdah’s murder had a horrific impact on me. It was difficult to express to people in England the emotions that I felt coming back from the West Bank, so this play is my way of encapsulating that. It captures some of the experiences that I had over there and the amazing people who I met.
Is this final production close to how you originally envisioned it when writing?
This play is exactly how I envisioned it. I knew the real-life premise of someone abruptly traveling to Palestine to impress a girl, despite being truthful, falls into the realm of farce. From there, it felt natural to build that farcical energy into the tone of the play and the protagonist.
What did your lead performer bring to the role that completely blew you away?
The lead actor, Benjamin Robinson, has an outstanding ability to perform the entire play in a jester-like role to bring out the comedy in the script, and then at the last minute flip the protagonist entirely by portraying a heart-wrenching vulnerability that completely juxtaposes everything we’ve seen. I knew it would take a very strong actor to show both sides to the role in such extreme manners, but Ben blew my breath away the first time I saw him perform it; after our first run-through, the entire room was in tears. It was truly incredible.
Fringe staging requires minimal sets. How did you recreate the West Bank inside Arches Lane Theatre?
It was natural for our set to be very bare because the story has such a fast flow and continually jumps from location to location. Minimal staging prevents the play’s flow from being disturbed. Giving the audience less in terms of staging also makes it easier for them to use their imagination to picture Hebron and Masafer Yatta in the West Bank. That said, we make use of about 100 props and plenty of sand to set the mood!
What does success look like for you this August, beyond just selling tickets?
We are raising money for Awdah Hathaleen’s village, Umm Al-Khair, via the Center for Jewish Non-Violence through ticket sales and donations at the end of each performance, as well as for our cast member Salsabil Al-Masri‘s family in Gaza. It would be incredible to raise a lump sum of money for all of them, as well as to honour Awdah’s life. Telling his story during this anniversary period feels deeply fitting.
What are the plans for the production after Camden Fringe wraps up?
We are looking for a long-term home for our play. We are currently applying for funding and aiming to bring it to a London venue for a 2-to-3-week run, as well as taking the show to Brighton and Luton for a few nights.
Many thanks to Louis for the chat. You can catch Hathaleen: The Unexpected Journey to Palestine when it plays at Arches Lane Theatre between Wednesday 12 to Friday 14 August as part of Camden Fringe.
