“I realized that to the Palestinian at the checkpoint it doesn’t matter if I am kind, I am still his oppressor.”
WHO: Itai Erdal
WHAT: “Playwright and performer Itai Erdal writes of a day when his eight-year-old Israeli nephew came home from school with an empty box to be filled with goods for soldiers on the front lines. Inside the box the boy’s teacher had written: ‘To the soldiers of today from the soldiers of tomorrow.’ A former Israeli soldier, Erdal shares some of his actions in the army, revealing a personal and frank context to the Arab Israeli conflict and the Occupation of Palestine. In his guilt and frustration, one can see reflections of a nation in turmoil.”
WHERE: Summerhall – Old Lab (Venue 26)
WHEN: 14:50 (60 min)
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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
This is my third time in Edinburgh and my second time performing. I first came in 2011 as a lighting designer for a show called Time for the Good Looking Boy by Box Clever Theatre at Pleasance. In 2014 I brought my one man show How to Disappear Completely to Underbelly. It was shortlisted to the Brighton Fringe Award and to a Total Theatre Award for Innovation. I loved performing in Edinburgh, it’s an inspiring environment. It’s the largest theatre festival in the world and it attracts presenters from all over the globe. This is a unique opportunity to be seen by dozens of presenters and producers that I simply have no other way of reaching.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
I learned that theatre is very resilient. There is nothing quite like sitting in the dark with a bunch of strangers and sharing some magic that is performed live. The cliche says that theatre has been on the verge of extinction for three thousand years, but it seems to be more relevant than ever.
Tell us about your show.
Soldiers of Tomorrow was written by me (Itai Erdal) with Colleen Murphy. It’s based on real events that happened to me during my military service in Israel 30 years ago. The show premieres at the 2023 Push Festival in Vancouver and is scheduled to tour Canada next season.
I grew up in Israel where military service is compulsory, but I was hesitant to enlist; I always objected to the way my country treated Palestinians and I didn’t want to be a part of the occupation. I thought about faking a mental condition to get out of the army, but my mom talked me out of it. She said that if people like me didn’t serve than we’d be leaving the military to the right-wing fanatics and if I enlist, I could be kind to people. But then I realized that to the Palestinian at the checkpoint it doesn’t matter if I am kind, I am still his oppressor.
When my nephew was eight, he came home from school one day with an empty box he had to fill with stuff to send to the soldiers in the front line. Inside the box his teacher wrote: to the soldiers of today, from the soldiers of tomorrow. My sister was the only parent to complain, most Israelis accept that their children will be soldiers and will take part in the endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the past 75 years the situation of the Palestinians has only gotten worse, it never gets better. Israel recently elected the most right-wing government in its history so unfortunately the future looks bleak.
I’ve decided to bring Soldiers of Tomorrow to Edinburgh, at a significant financial risk, because the situation in Palestine is close to a boiling point, and as someone who served in the Israeli army and helped oppress Palestinians, I feel a moral responsibility to try to do something, and theatre is the only thing I know how to do.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
Everyone should see Horizon Showcase: The Talent by Deborah Pearson at Summerhall. Deborah is an amazing theatre maker, I am a huge fan.
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