Perzen. Triomf van Empathie (Persians. Triumph of Empathy) is a remarkable theatre production directed by Chokri Ben Chikha. In this performance, together with six performers, he explores how to show more understanding and empathy in a conflict that has been ongoing for decades: the conflict between Israel and Palestine. They do this by looking at one of the oldest plays in history, The Persians by the Greek playwright Aeschylus.

Aeschylus’ Persians deals with a war between the Greeks and the Persians, in which the writer himself fought against the Persians. The central question is: did Aeschylus feel empathy and understanding for his enemy, or did he mainly want to show the superiority of the Greeks? By raising these questions, the performers search for connections between this ancient story and the current genocide in the Middle East.

The performance, based on interviews that Ben Chikha conducted in January 2024 in Israel and Palestine, combines words, dance, and music into a swirling and moving whole. Persians. Triumph of Empathy thus balances between art and reality, opportunism and empathy.