Censorship – The Arts, Others

A Palestinian-supporting Israeli theatre troupe was unable to perform at the International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFoK) after the Indian Embassy in Israel denied visas to the group, leading to the cancellation of two scheduled performances on Tuesday.

The troupe was set to stage The Last Play in Gaza, a production that reflects the present condition of Palestinian theatre. The play is a continuation and re-staging of The Emigrants, the final production performed at Gaza’s Theatre for Everybody before the venue was destroyed in Israeli bombing.

Directed by noted Israeli documentary theatre director and film actor Einat Weizman, The Last Play in Gaza foregrounds Palestinian political narratives.

Weizman’s work has previously faced censorship and opposition in Israel for its critical engagement with state violence and occupation.

According to Weizman, the visa application for the troupe was submitted nearly two months ago.