Casting announced for Royal Court's Fireworks

Casting has been announced for Fireworks (ألعاب نارية), a new play by Palestinian playwright and poet Dalia Tala at the Royal Court.

Directed by the Court's international associate Richard Twyman and set in Palestine, the play is inspired by recent events in Gaza and gives "new insight to the impact of war on childhood".

Fireworks has been developed with the Royal Court's international department over the last two years, and marks the first full production by an emerging Palestinian playwright which has been developed and staged by the company.

The cast includes leading Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri, Nabil Elouahabi who recently appeared in The Nightmares of Carlos Fuentes (Arcola Theatre) and played Tariq in EastEnders, Sirine Saba, recently in Holy Warriors (Shakespeare’s Globe) and Shereen Martin who starred in Channel 4's BAFTA nominated Britz.

They will be joined by four young actors George Karageorgis, Yusuf Hofri, Shakira Riddell-Morales and Eden Nathenson who will perform in pairs on alternate evenings.

In a Palestinian town eleven year-old Lubna and twelve year-old Khalil are playing on the empty stairwell in their apartment block. As the siege intensifies outside, fear for their safety becomes as crippling as the conflict itself.

The production istranslated by Clem Naylor, designed by Lizzie Clachan, lighting is by Natasha Chivers, music is by Benedict Taylor and sound design is by George Dennis.

Fireworks runs at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs from 12 February to 14 March 2015.