Review: The Beekeeper of Aleppo (Oxford Playhouse)

The Beekeeper of Aleppo was inspired by Christy Lefteri’s bestselling novel of the same name. Adapted for the stage by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler, I was excited to see the show at Oxford Playhouse. I should note that despite having a copy of the novel, I have yet to read it so I can’t compare the two. What follows is based entirely on the stage show.

Nuri and his wife Afra have been forced to flee from Syria after war takes hold. With Nuri a beekeeper in their hometown of Aleppo, and both of them initially reluctant to leave, eventually there was no choice left but to try and escape to the safety of England. The play shows their struggles along the way, both individually and as a couple. Some of the real perils of war are touched on and these hit hard. There are also moments of human connection along the way.

What this production does well is zoom in on a very small number of people in a perilous situation, bringing to our senses the reality of war and the fragility of human existence. This is the depth that can sometimes be lacking when you watch the news and see huge numbers of people briefly as part of a headline – at times this is far less relatable than deep diving into the individual stories of a family and the people they encounter during their travels.

Production photo by Manuel Harlan

Adam Sina brought a whole range of emotions to Nuri which was hard to watch at times, especially in moments of emotional turmoil or grief.  I was astonished to read in the programme that for Farah Saffari, who plays his wife Afra, this was her first leading role. Their performances both individually and as the couple they were portraying were so impactful, the attention to detail in their retelling of the story maintaining the focus throughout.

Joseph Long as Mustafa and the Moroccan Man was a highlight, I particularly enjoyed his appearances when Mastafa had emailed Nuri.  These were good for lightening the mood a little in between the more intense moments.

Aram Mardourian played three characters in all, with these characters being people who turn to darker ways of dealing with wartime situations. Whilst these characters were not the most likeable they do bring focus to the reality of war and the impact that trying to survive in such a situation can have on innocent people.

Princess Khumalo’s Angeliki's story was heartbreaking. Not sharing any spoilers, I won’t go into detail but her retelling of her experiences and the connection with Afra that followed this was emotional to see.

As I entered the auditorium, I noticed the set visible on stage and it appeared to be fairly static. Indeed, this was the case, with no furniture changes and minimal use of props during the show, although the set had hidden depths with projections taking us to different locations and a number of points of entry which were used to good effect. It was a great choice for this show in fact, as the characters had minimal possessions and were constantly on the move. The focus on one toy car then became more significant as the show progressed.

Production photo by Manuel Harlan

Similarly, the lighting design (Ben Ormerod) was restrained but relevant for this production, and Tingying Dong’s sound design added subtle reinforcement of the situations being experienced.  The ticking of a clock in particular felt poignant.  The video design by Zsolst Balough was an important aspect of this production, for me the most effective of these effects being the simple design of Border Control, hospital or park settings. At times the busier scenes depicted distracted slightly from what was happening on stage, giving a sense of chaos, which was intentional but occasionally a bit too much to take in all at once.

All in all, The Beekeeper of Aleppo is an engaging watch. Timeless in nature, it focusses the attention on a small group of people forced into migration and the trauma they experience, leaving you thinking about the constant stream of people suffering in similar situations out in the real world.

A thought-provoking piece that will leave you leave you reflecting on it long after you leave the theatre.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Beekeeper of Aleppo is showing at Oxford Playhouse until Saturday 9 May 2026. You can buy tickets here.

If you would like to see my curtain call photographs from this and other shows, please visit my Instagram.

I was gifted tickets for this show in exchange for an honest review.