The Shroud Maker

Book excerpt: Hajja Souad, an 80-year old Palestinian woman living on the besieged Gaza Strip, knows about business. She has survived decades of wars and oppression through making shrouds for the dead. A compelling black comedy that delves deep into the intimate life of ordinary Palestinians, the play weaves a highly distinctive path through Palestine's turbulent past and present. The Shroud Maker toured the UK as a one-woman comedy, with one female actress playing all the roles, in the tradition of a Palestinian story-teller. The Shroud Maker was part of @70: Celebration of Contemporary Palestinian Culture, a week-long festival of theatre, dance, films and talks commemorating the Palestinian experience of dispossession and loss of a homeland. It weaves comic fantasy and satire with true stories told first hand to the writer, and offers a vivid portrait of Palestinian life in Gaza underscored with gallows humour.