A History of Water in the Middle East

“What form can something take without water?”

British Egyptian Sabrina Mahfouz always loved the mix of places and rivers she grew up around – Thames, Tees, Nile, Essequibo. But when she applied to be a spy, she realised that in Britain an identity not easily defined can be considered a risk, in ways she was not aware of before.

So now she’s on her own intelligence mission – to explore how the water of the Middle East has enabled British power through the ages; and how Britain still effects landscapes, lives and legacies in the Middle East today.

Directed by Stef O’Driscoll, the production journeys across twelve different countries using theatre, poetry and music to share stories of women across the region. From the British Imperialist ownership of natural resources, to the environmental urgency of the present, water has shaped conflicts, policies and fortunes – and it will shape all of our futures.

Writer Sabrina Mahfouz has been called ‘Theatrical dynamite’ by The Independent and ‘[one of] our most interesting playwrights’ by Lyn Gardner in The Guardian.