From Pain To Poetry

Shown as part of the Singapore International Festival of Arts, the acclaimed one-man play Taha explores the life and writings of self-taught Palestinian poet Taha Muhammad Ali, who died in 2011 at the age of 80. When he was 17 years old, Taha was forced to flee his village that came under heavy bombardment during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. He returned to his home later to operate a souvenir shop in Nazareth selling Christian trinkets to pilgrims and tourists. At night he read and wrote poetry, eventually publishing his first collection of poems when he was 52. This poignant, lyrical account of his extraordinary life and works, performed by writer-actor Amer Hlehel, received glowing reviews across the world.

Taha plays at KC Arts Centre - Home of SRT, 20 Merbau Road, on May 4 and 5 at 8pm. Tickets at S$35 from Sistic.