”No Hope With Hope”

On Wednesday, 25 January 2023, MEP Irena Joveva appeared as one of the actors in the play No Hope With Hope, which was staged at the European Parliament as part of the so-called hidden theatre. The play sheds light on the lives of men and women fighters in oppressed areas, where the authorities use violence and threats to make other people’s existence impossible, not least to destroy their hope.

Ms Joveva performing in the play.

In the play entitled No Hope With Hope, the MEP played the story of a young Palestinian man whose room is broken into by Israeli soldiers looking for his brother. The young man does not give in to the constant questioning by the violent Israeli army and remains loyal to his family and their safety.

The show depicts, among other things, the daily lives and suffering of people in Palestine, Iraq, Kurdistan and Ukraine, where war, suffering and death, but also survival, resistance and resilience, are part of everyday life.

Speaking about the play, the MEP said that, in principle, hope is the possibility of something coming true, that each of us hopes for something, every day, again and again, but that for her fellow actors, hope extends only to survival and perseverance. Even though these are difficult stories, we need to listen to them, she added.

“Life stories – poignant, but therefore all the more deserving of being performed on a theatre stage. Not just on the day of the performance, not just yesterday. Tomorrow and forever,” emphasised Joveva.

About the performances of the Teatro di Nascosto theatre group

The MEP was invited to participate in the play by the Teatro di Nascosto – Hidden Theatre, which, with the help of Annet Henneman, has developed the theatre reportage method. These reportages shed light on current events in conflict zones, give voice to the disadvantaged and empower them to share their stories. The international ensemble is made up of actors working and living in Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Syria, Kurdistan, Ukraine, Germany, England, Denmark and the Netherlands.