With an ensemble that brings Israelis and Palestinians on stage together, Flemish theatre maker and historian Chokri Ben Chikha draws a line from the oldest Greek tragedy to the current apparently irresolvable conflict in the Middle East. Perzen is a gripping theatrical balancing act that does not offer any easy solutions.

Is it possible to understand or even love your enemy? In light of the decades-long and polarising conflict between Israel and Palestine, in light of the massacre of 7 October 2023 and the subsequent war, the Flemish theatre maker and historian Chokri Ben Chikha asks with an ensemble that brings Israelis and Palestinians on stage together after the power of empathy – naive as that may seem. The production puts it all on the line, looking for a connection between the oldest extant Greek tragedy, The Persians by Aeschylus, and the conflict in the Middle East. The show is based on interviews conducted by Chokri Ben Chikha in Israel and Palestine in 2024 and combines documentary text, movement and sound into a gripping balancing act that does not offer the audience any easy solutions. Perzen is Chokri Ben Chikha's first introduction to the Viennese audience.