Syrian show in Edinburg Fringe cancelled

CAIRO - 9 August 2017: A Syrian theater and dance show set to be performed at the Edinburg Fringe has been cancelled due to visa issues preventing entrance to the U.K. Several other shows are under threat as well.

Called “The Elephant Your Majesty”, the cancelled show was to be performed by Syrian refugees aged between 14 and 25 years old. Four members of the Cairo-production teams have also been denied entry.

Sara Shaarawi, the Egyptian playwright who co-produced the show, and the 10 others set to perform, described the process of acquiring visas as “Kafkaesque” to The Stage website.

"It is like Kafka; everyone is handing us over to someone else. We are calling lots of numbers and no one is telling us when he is to get his passport back or if he is entitled to a visa."

Due to these concerns, there is also fear that another Syrian show, “Your Love Is Fire”, may also have to be cancelled.