Teatre Nacional de Catalunya opens a window to contemporary Middle Eastern creation as a space for memory, resistance, and imagination. 🎭✨

Following previous editions focused on Palestine and Beirut, the third installment of this series broadens its scope across the entire region through the voices of international creators.

🎭 Barcelona Calling l'Orient Mitjà

📅 From November 10 to 15, 2026

🕐 Varying times depending on the show

📍 TNC - Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, Barcelona

🎟️ From €10 (6-show pass: €20)

📖 Contemporary narratives and oral heritage

The program features Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah (The Epic of Bani Hilal) by Palestinian company Khashabi Theatre, directed by Bashar Murkus and Khulood Basel. It reinvents a 14th-century Bedouin oral epic recognized by UNESCO, using physicality, giant puppets, shadow theatre, and live electronic music.

Additionally, Iran's Shieveh Theater Company presents The Child, starring acclaimed actress Fatemeh Motamed-Arya. The plot revolves around the interrogation of three migrant women held at a European border with a newborn baby whom none of them claims to mother.

🏛️ A cycle of artistic resistance

Hosted across Sala Petita and Sala Tallers at the TNC, this series delves into real geopolitical complexities through diverse stage formats, challenging concepts of borders, identity, and personal destiny.

ℹ️ Good to know: Performances are presented in their original language with Catalan subtitles: Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah in Arabic (3 h duration with intermission) and The Child in Persian (1 h 15 min duration).

✨ A unique opportunity to experience essential theatrical perspectives from the Middle East.