It is difficult to imagine how the horrors taking place in Palestine can be conveyed by theatre, but the visually striking play Oranges and Stones, performed without words in fourteen countries over four continents since its first production in 2010 by a Palestinian company, still grabs our attention with its story of injustice.
A woman (Iman Aoun) sits on a Palestinian rug writing in a book. A circle composed of oranges and stones surrounds the contents of her home. She pauses and picks up a basket to fill with oranges. Taking a knife, she begins to peel one of the oranges.
A man (Edward Muallem) walking backwards as if unsure where he is going arrives on the stage carrying a huge suitcase. Seeing the home, he very casually walks in. Thirsty, he gestures at the jug of water. The woman offers this stranger a glass of water, but he tries to take the entire jug.
Soon, he is unpacking his stuff. Smiling, he hands the woman an official document before settling on the rug to read a book.
Initially, the woman is polite, even offering him an orange, but as time passes, the friction grows. Each of them tries to chalk out their area. He makes clear his authority by tearing out the flower growing in her room and pouring all the water away, despite her tears at the loss of such a precious commodity. Taking her writing book, he rips pages out and tears them up. Thus does he eliminate the record of her culture.
At times, she resists by chucking oranges at him.
The man becomes more abusive, throwing her to the ground and, at one point, without consent, kisses her and moves his hands around her body.
Well performed by a confident cast directed by Mojisola Adebayo, it is a movingly provocative play.
We know where this is all going even as we wish for a different ending. The man moves her out. He throws paper aeroplanes at her. As the light dims, he stands on a raised level holding above him a firework that emits a mass of coloured sparks. His victory seems secure.
Yet the woman implies a moment of hope as she walks to a member of the audience with a gift. What happens next beyond the theatre depends on what those who have witnessed the tragedy do.