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Ellen Muriel’s autobiographical play uses a unique blend of poetry, puppetry and song to expose her expectations, experiences and insecurities of volunteering along Europe's refugee route from October 2015 - April 2016.  

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Coming from a traditional education in theatre and finding herself suddenly immersed in humanitarian aid work, Muriel attempts to combine old skills with new experiences to bring alive the existential issues that surround this mass movement of people, encouraging the audience to consider their own position within it. 

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"What is my relationship and responsibility, as a white, middle class volunteer, towards the refugees crossing Europe? Should I turn a blind eye, uncomfortable with my own privilege? Or throw myself in to help with little but my 'good intention' behind me?"

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The stage resembles French and Greek makeshift camps, with a simple set made entirely of found objects from the proximity. Muriel uses a combination of shadow and cloth puppets, slam poetry, live acapella singing and humorous role play to entice the audience into an honest dialogue, using her own experiences as a base to address popular misconceptions surrounding this media frenzy.

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Since it's creation in May 2016 the show has been performed over 50 times in 6 different countries. Due to the adaptable nature of the piece performance venues have ranged from community centres, squats and housing projects to traditional theatres, schools and universities. 

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Running time: 60 minutes.

Photos by Al-Shammari, Shaan R. Ali and David Campesino.

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