Soldiers of Tomorrow is a vital and inventive new play by playwright and performer, Itai Erdal, who writes of the day his eight-year-old Israeli nephew came home from school with an empty box to be filled with goods for soldiers on the front lines. Inside the box, the boy's teacher had written: 'To the soldiers of today from the soldiers of tomorrow.'
Having been on the front lines as an Israeli soldier, Erdal shares some of his actions in the army, revealing a personal and frank context to the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Occupation of Palestine. In his guilt and anger, one can see reflections of a nation in turmoil.
Soldiers of Tomorrow is Erdal's emotional examination of the ties that bind him to his homeland, and the frustration he feels with his nephew's future as a soldier; an examination that risks upsetting the safe, binary opinions Western audiences often hold of this complex conflict. Itai Erdal presented How To Disappear Completely at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2014 to critical acclaim. His return to the festival with another complex and honest show will be one not to miss.
Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show is?
My name is Itai Erdal and I am a Vancouver-based writer & performer. I grew up in Israel where military service is compulsory, but I was hesitant to enlist; I always objected to the way my country treated Palestinians and I didn't want to be a part of the occupation. I thought about faking a mental condition to get out of the army, but my mom talked me out of it. She said that if people like me didn't serve then we'd be leaving the military to the right-wing fanatics and if I enlist, I could be kind to people. But then I realised that to the Palestinian at the checkpoint it doesn't matter if I am kind, I am still his oppressor.
When my nephew was eight, he came home from school one day with an empty box he had to fill with stuff to send to the soldiers in the front line. Inside the box, his teacher wrote: to the soldiers of today, from the soldiers of tomorrow. My sister was the only parent to complain, most Israelis accept that their children will be soldiers and will take part in the endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the past 75 years, the situation of the Palestinians has only gotten worse, it never gets better. Israel recently elected the most right-wing government in its history so unfortunately, the future looks bleak.
I've decided to take Soldiers of Tomorrow to Edinburgh, at a significant financial risk, because the situation in Palestine is close to a boiling point, and as someone who served in the Israeli army and helped oppress Palestinians, I feel a moral responsibility to try to do something, and theatre is the only thing I know how to do.
Tell us about the creative team and process involved?
Emad Armoush, who is a brilliant Syrian musician wrote the music, and he will be on stage with me, playing live. I wrote the play with Colleen Murphy, who is one of Canada's greatest playwrights, and her contribution was invaluable, her fingerprints are all over this play. The show was directed by my long time collaborator Anita Rochon, who co-wrote and produced my first one-man show How to Disappear Completely (which was presented by Aurora Nova at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe). The set was designed by Brian Ball and the lighting by Alan Brodie, two of Vancouver's very best designers.
How does it feel coming to the Fringe?
Feels fantastic! I am so happy to be back. I first came to the Fringe in 2011 as a lighting designer, then in 2014 as a performer. My show How to Disappear Completely did really well here - we were nominated for the Brighton Fringe Award and the Total Theatre Award for Innovation, and got several bookings.
There are over 3,000 shows at the Fringe. So, what sets your show apart?
My show is about current events and unfortunately it is more relevant than ever, as the situation in Palestine is escalating fast. Many audience members have told me that they understood more about the Arab Israeli conflict in one hour of seeing this show, than a lifetime of reading news articles about it. Soldiers of Tomorrow offers a unique insight into this conflict, by someone who has lived through it.
Is there anything specific you're hoping the audience will take away?
I created this show in order to try to raise awareness about the plight of the Palestinians and to try to shift public opinion about this conflict around the world. There is so much misinformation about the Arab-Israeli conflict, so many people don't really understand it and they don't want to take sides because they are concerned about appearing antisemitic. But criticising Israel is not antisemitism.
I am a proud Jew, my entire family lives in Israel, I criticise Israel because I love it, not because I hate it. I wanted to create a play that would make it ok to take sides. Because it is not a fair fight. It's a fight between women and children and one of the largest armies in the world, where for every Israeli who dies there are roughly 28 Palestinian deaths.
Your ideal audience is in attendance, who's watching? Or more importantly – who isn't there…
I hope the Muslim community comes. I hope the Jewish community comes. I expect there will be some controversy - I know this play will piss off a lot of people on both sides. I am not necessarily looking forward to it, but I do believe that if people are angry that means they care and it means they are engaged with this topic - and after all, raising awareness is my goal. As for who isn't there - children under the age of ten will probably find it boring, but there is no violence or strong language.
It's an intense month, so where you're able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?
I plan to play as much tennis as possible and see as many shows as I can. As for seeing other shows, I would strongly recommend Horizon Showcase: The Talent by Deborah Pearson at Summerhall. Deborah is an amazing theatre-maker, I am a huge fan.
In your ideal world, how can we improve the world of the Fringe, of performance, and the industry?
My only complaint about Edinburgh is how expensive everything is… I would make it more affordable.
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