“Trojan Women Project presents Palestinian Syrian actress Arwa Omaren’s Offie-nominated one-woman play about her perilous journey from Syria to the UK. Hope, humour and defiance battle danger and despair as she moves from life as a Palestinian refugee in Syria through near-fatal abandonment on the Mountain of Death to homelessness on the streets of London. She weaves the words of Euripides’ Hecuba, Queen of Troy, into her own story, personifying the eternal nature of war, exile and loss.”
Where: Turret at Gilded Balloon Teviot
When: 5-31 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/hecuba-why-am-i-in-your-country
What can you tell us about your show? What is it about and where did the idea come from?
My show is a combination of my personal story and Queen Hecuba from Euripides’ The Trojan Women. It brings together two women’s experiences of tragedy through war, loss, exile, and survival, and places them in conversation with each other across time.The idea came when Charlotte and William, the producers and director from the original workshop of The Trojan Women, suggested that I create a one-woman show based on my own story.
They already knew my background and believed I had a story worth telling. Later, I received a call formally inviting me to develop it, and my immediate response was that this felt like a dream opportunity. As a Palestinian woman who grew up as a refugee and is now based in the UK, I also feel a responsibility to share my story. It is important for audiences here to understand different lived experiences, backgrounds, and cultures, and to see the human stories behind displacement and migration.
How would you sell it to audiences in one paragraph?
This is a deeply human story that could belong to any time or place. It explores the experiences of women shaped by war, loss, and survival, and connects personal memory with universal themes. It is intimate, emotional, and rooted in lived experience, while also drawing on classical texts to reflect how history continues to echo into the present.
Are you looking forward to participating in the Fringe?
I can’t wait for it. Presenting my first solo show at the Fringe feels like a dream and a real privilege. I’m both excited and nervous, but mostly grateful to have the opportunity to share my story on such an important platform.
What are you looking forward to the most in Edinburgh?
I’m looking forward to performing my show and seeing how audiences respond to it. At the same time, this will be my first time in Edinburgh and my first time at the Fringe Festival, so I’m also excited to experience the city, the atmosphere, and the creative energy during that month. I’m really looking forward to watching as many shows as I can and meeting other artists.
What’s next for the show?
I would love for the show to continue beyond Edinburgh. My hope is to take it on tour across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East, and to share it with as many audiences as possible. I want the story to travel and hopefully resonate with people in different places and become a source of connection and reflection.