When I Saw the Sea. A Play by Ali Shahrur

On September 20, as part of the Nicosia International Festival in Nicosia, an international theater and dance production by Lebanese director and choreographer Ali Chahrour will be presented—a poignant story about freedom, loss, dignity, and human resilience.

The play centers on the stories of three women: Zena, Tenea, and Rania. All three are migrant women who worked as domestic workers in Lebanon. In 2024, left without support from their employers amid a devastating war, they were forced to seek a safe place on their own. Some lost loved ones and their homes, while many found themselves turned away from government shelters.

Ultimately, the women found themselves on the Beirut waterfront. It was there that an event took place that became the symbol of the play: for the first time in their lives, they saw the sea. For them, the boundless horizon became the embodiment of freedom—the freedom they had previously been deprived of.

On stage, three women tell their own stories while simultaneously becoming the voice of hundreds of others whose fates remain unseen. Their personal memories intertwine with the history of modern Lebanon—the economic crisis, the pandemic, the explosion at the Port of Beirut, armed conflicts, and mass displacement.

The production combines dance, music, and live narration, transforming personal memories into a powerful statement about human dignity and the right to freedom. The music is performed by Lynn Adib and Abed Kobeissy.

“When I Saw the Sea” is not just a performance about war and migration. It is a story about people who, despite loss and uncertainty, continue to live, care for their loved ones, dream, and seek their own horizon of freedom.

Ticket prices:
Zone A — €30
Zone B — €25 / €20 (reduced)
Zone C — €20 / €20 (reduced)
Zone D — €15