Palestinian circus troupe performs at Edinburgh Fringe
A Palestinian circus troupe performed at the Edinburgh Fringe festival, delivering a message of hope through their act.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A Palestinian circus troupe has brought a message of hope and resilience to the Edinburgh Fringe, performing a show that blends contemporary circus with traditional Palestinian dance. The company, founded in Palestine as a non-profit, uses circus arts to give young people a sense of freedom and creativity in a life full of barriers.
The show, titled "Step and a Half," is staged at Underbelly's Circus Hub. Director Mohamed Rabah said the performance is a celebration of identity and existence. "The Israeli occupation is trying to do is to take that from us. So we want to celebrate who we are. We want to dance with joy and with hope and with strength," he said. He added that the troupe wants to show the world that Palestinians still have life, love, joy, and hope, despite the genocide in Gaza, restrictions in the West Bank, and settler attacks.
For the performers, simply getting to rehearsals can be an ordeal. One artist, Sana, lives in Jerusalem and teaches children there. Her journey to training in the West Bank normally takes 50 minutes, but with checkpoints and border closures it can take three hours. "Sometimes the border will close and I cannot get there. You never know what could happen," she said.
The show is not a political speech, but every performance carries the weight of home. Rabah noted that one of their artists, Hamid, lost his 17-year-old brother to the Israeli army in 2024. "Every one of us, we try in a peaceful, non-violent way to communicate with the world about our rights, about our needs," he said.
The troupe last performed at the Fringe 11 years ago. Their return is a statement of endurance. The act includes acrobatics, fire, trapeze, tissue, silk, and straps, as well as the traditional Dabka wedding dance. Rabah said the circus gives young people a sense of protection and togetherness. "They learn how to do very risky and dangerous things in a very safe way, and that's what every youth, every children need," he said.
From hardship to hope, the Palestinian circus wants audiences to witness a celebration of resilience through extraordinary performance.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC NEWS Signed | BBC One | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amanda Knox was convicted twice and spent four years in prison before being acquitted of the murder of Meredith Kercher. | · | · | ||||
| The Edinburgh Festival Fringe began on 7 August 2026. | · | · | · | |||
| The Edinburgh Fringe features thousands of acts and shows. | · | · | · | |||
| The Kercher family called for the cancellation of Amanda Knox's comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe, saying it trivialises violence against women. | · | · | · | |||
| The show is described as a stand-up comedy show referencing Knox's time in prison and her attempts to explain it to her children. | · | · | · | |||
| Acid's Reign is a drag musical about climate change that follows activists from 2019 to today. | · | · | · | · | ||
| Knox said she would like the Kercher family to see the show and has reached out to them without reciprocation. | · | · | · | · | ||
| The company was founded in Palestine as a non-profit to bring hope and creativity to young people. | · | · | · | · | ||
| The Edinburgh Fringe features over 3,000 acts and over 250 venues. | · | · | · | · | ||
| The show is sold out. | · | · | · | · | ||
| A performer from Jerusalem faces lengthy delays at checkpoints when travelling to the West Bank. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A show called 'Step and a Half' opens at Underbelly's Circus Hub. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 provided a detailed, serious report focusing on the political and personal struggles behind the troupe's performance. It highlighted the occupation, checkpoints, and the loss of a performer's brother, framing the show as an act of peaceful resistance and cultural preservation.
- “The Israeli occupation is trying to do is to take that from us. So we want to celebrate who we are. We want to dance with joy and with hope and with strength.”
- “From hardship to hope, the Palestinian circus wants audiences to witness a celebration of resilience through extraordinary performance.”
BBC News Now presented a lighter, more visual segment, focusing on the performance itself and the joy it brings. The reporter tried the Dabka dance and highlighted the acrobatic elements, while still including Mohamed's comments about hope and connection with the world.
- “we come here and we tell the people here, the world, that we have a life, we have love, we have joy, and we have hope”
- “they do acrobatics, fire, they do flying areas with trapeze, tissue, silk, and straps, very dangerous acts.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.