Ticket Deals
20€ Online booking at least 24 hrs before show
22€ Reservations and evening box office
18 € Club Ö1, unions, Pensioners, Verbund, Kolping members
16 € as of 5zig, Tera Vienna Card, groups 6+ persons
15 € Theatre Tuesday, disabled card holders, WUK
11 € Family extra, Students, MDW/Uni. Darstell. Kunst, IG Theater, Club Ö1 Students, Students 6+,
0 € Kulturpass Hunger auf Kunst und Kultur, Wiener Mobilpass, Präsenz- und Zivildiener
Press:
Press & general enquiries contact
Joanna Godwin-Seidl
Tel.: 43(0) 699 12127679
office@viennatheatreproject.at
With thanks to our sponsors: , Theater Drachengasse, Gernot Ottowitz Medienproduktion, Ine& Thomas Photography,
vienna theatre project leading team:
Joanna Godwin-Seidl, Ine Gundersveen, Gernot Ottowitz, Laura D Mitchell & Jihad Al Khateeb
Assist. Director: Laura D Mitchell
Stage Manager: Laura D Mitchell
Stage Crew: vienna theatre project
Costumes: Anillo Sürün & vienna theatre project
Set Design: vienna theatre project
Set building: Hannes Stockinger & Julian Brendinger
Lights and sound tech, SFX: Michaela Pink
Poster/Flyer/Film/Trailer: Gernot Ottowitz
Production Photos: Gernot Ottowitz
PR & Sponsorship: Joanna Godwin-Seidl
In House: Katrin Schurich, Beate Platzgummer
and team
GREY ROCK
By Amir Nizar Zuabi
Premiere: 22nd September 2025
Performances: 23rd September – 4th October 2025, 8pm
Venue: Bar & Co, approx. 1 hour 30 minutes, no intermission
Ticket sales start 1st September 2025
Directed by: Joanna Godwin-Seidl
Cast: Jihad Al Khateeb, other cast to be announced
Season Opening & Austrian Premiere!
vienna theatre project, recognised for staging bold, globally resonant work, is opening the season at Theater Drachengasse with a uniquely compelling comedy-drama by Palestinian playwright Amir Nizar Zuabi — a work that has touched audiences around the world.
Set in a small West Bank village, Grey Rock follows Yusuf, a retired TV repairman who—moved by the memory of the 1969 moon landing—secretly sets out to build a rocket in his garage and launch it to the moon. His plan is fantastical. It stirs confusion, awe, and resistance in his family and community, sparking a quiet revolution of dreams in a place where dreaming freely is a radical act.
Infused with subtle wit, poetic language, and quiet emotional power, Grey Rock is a tribute to the limitless capacity of the human spirit — even in a land marked by borders and walls.
A tender, humorous, and powerful evening of theatre — a quiet act of resistance, full of hope and humanity.
Critical Praise:
“Building a rocket is also a clear allegory for making art, for creating something so extraordinary that the whole world must notice.”
— The New York Times
“Once again Zuabi, with Grey Rock, proves himself to be an extraordinary theatre craftsman and a passionate and evocative storyteller.”
— Stage Whispers
“Propels us beyond man-made borders and regulations, capturing the wanderlust of the human mind and spirit to achieve greatness even in ordinary day-to-day life.”
— OnStage
“…about openings: of doors, of eyes, of unimagined possibilities… a Palestinian play that has more sitcom than political overtones.”
— The Washington Post
More info and bookings from !st September & www.drachengasse.at
Support us: www.paypal.me/viennatheatreproject
The CAST
A short director and producer's note...
Thank you for visiting this page, which is currently under construction. We look forward to seeing you at the shows in September. In the mean time follow our news on social media for updates on cast and creatives.
It is always an absolute privilege to tell these important stories. We wish everyone in the world that they find their place, are happy and accepted there and can live, laugh, love and dance to their own tune freely.
Much love,
Joanna & Jihad
Palestine a history
Before the emergence of the biblical kingdoms of Israel and Judah (around the 10th century BCE), the region was known as Canaan, a land inhabited by a mosaic of Semitic-speaking peoples, including Canaanites, Amorites, Jebusites, Hittites, and others. These groups lived in fortified city-states and agricultural settlements, trading and interacting with powerful neighbours like Egypt and Mesopotamia. The Canaanites practiced a polytheistic religion and left behind a rich archaeological legacy — from city ruins like Jericho to early scripts that contributed to the development of the Phoenician and eventually modern alphabets.
Palestine, situated at the crossroads of Africa, Asia, and Europe, has been inhabited for millennia and holds profound significance for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Known in antiquity as Canaan, it later became the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah before falling under successive empires — Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Roman authorities renamed the region Syria Palaestina in an effort to erase Jewish ties to the land. Over centuries, the area became predominantly Arab and Muslim under Islamic caliphates, and later formed part of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years until its defeat in World War I.
Following British control from 1917, the region saw growing tensions between the indigenous Arab population and increasing waves of Jewish immigration. The 1947 UN partition plan proposed separate Jewish and Arab states, leading to war in 1948, the creation of Israel, and the displacement of over 700,000 Palestinians. Jordan annexed the West Bank, but Israel occupied it in 1967 — a military occupation that continues to this day. The West Bank is now a patchwork of Palestinian towns and Israeli settlements, governed in part by the Palestinian Authority but heavily restricted by Israeli control. Despite decades of negotiations, the promise of Palestinian statehood remains unfulfilled, and the West Bank continues to symbolize both a people’s struggle and their steadfast resilience.
Harmage Singh Kalirai is Yusuf
Harmage trained as an actor at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama, London, École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, Paris, and Ladislav Fialka Mime School, Prague.
Theatre includes: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (The Stetson Group: New Zealand, & Simon Friend Entertainment: UK/Ireland tour), The Mahabharata (Shaw Festival Theatre, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada), Gauhar Jaan: The Datia Incident (Omnibus Theatre), Night at the Bombay Roxy (Swamp Studios/Dishoom), A Thousand Faces (Amina Khayyam Dance Company: UK tour), The Who & The What (Vienna Theatre Project/Theater Drachengasse, Austria), A Midsummer Night's Dream (New Wolsey Theatre), The Winter's Tale (Guildford Shakespeare Company), Antony and Cleopatra (Chichester Festival Theatre), Hijra (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Behsharam (Soho Theatre/Birmingham Rep), Arabian Nights (Young Vic/UK tour), Bravely Fought the Queen (Border Crossing), Riddley Walker & The Moonstone (Royal Exchange Manchester), Vigilantes (Arts Theatre), My Beautiful Laundrette (Sherman Cardiff), Dick Whittington (Grand Wolverhampton), The Illusion (Old Vic), Passage to India (Redgrave Farnham), Doolaly Days (Leicester Haymarket).
Television includes: Emmerdale (ITV), Big School (BBC Comedy), Politician's Husband (BBC), Alan Partridge: Welcome to the Places of My Life (Sky), Silent Witness, Spooks, Casualty, Little Britain (BBC), The Bill (Thames), Peep Show (Objective), Blue Murder (Granada), Brief Lives (BBC/World), Dalziel and Pascoe, Doctors, Holby City (BBC), Trial and Retribution (La Plante), A Touch of Frost (YTV), Medics (Granada), Lovejoy (BBC), The Ruth Rendell Mysteries (TVS), Tandoori Nights (C4).
Film includes: Dalida (Bethsabee Mucho), Dark Matters 2: Raining Aliens (Wide Eyed Entertainment), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (International Production Company), Mischief Nights (Company Pictures), Guru in Seven (Balhar), Brothers in Trouble (Renegade), Paper Mask (Granada), Partition (C4), A Very British Coup (Skreba).
Ahmed Al-Taai is Jawad
Ahmed was born and raised in Vienna, Austria, and carries a rich cultural heritage from the Balkans (Bosnia) and the Middle East (Iraq). Growing up in a multilingual household, he speaks Bosnian, German, and English fluently.
His passion for acting and the performing arts emerged early in life. In addition to acting, Ahmed is deeply engaged in contemporary dance and contemporary arts, using movement and imagery as powerful tools of expression.
Ahmed began his acting training in Elisabeth Mayer’s theatre teen ensemble The English Drama Club. Later he studied acting at the Vienna’s English Theatre Academy (VETA). While at VETA, he appeared in several stage productions, including Macbeth (as Macduff) and Noises Off (as Roger).
Ahmed has appeared in several theatre productions including: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Oberon), My Fair Lady (Professor Higgins), America’s Sexiest Couple (Bellboy), 2:22 A Ghost Story (PC Stirling).
Beyond acting, Ahmed is committed to developing his own creative projects. He is currently producing original work, including his show WHYTE, which explores themes of identity, heritage, and belonging through a personal and contemporary lens.
Nada Darwish is Lila
Nada was born in Cairo, Egypt, and has been living in Vienna as an actress since 2016. In 2020, she completed her acting studies in Vienna at the Vienna English Theatre Academy.
She has appeared in productions such as The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Merry Fuckin' Christmas, Great Expectations, The Bacchae, Rage Is a Good Feeling, and the radio play The Whistle Blower (ORF).
She has also been passionately dedicated to boxing for the past ten years, demonstrating both her discipline and versatility.
Anillo Sürün is Fadel
Anillo is a Vienna-based actor originally from Hatay, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Acting, with additional training in opera singing and musical theatre. He works across theatre, film, and performance, and performs in English, German, and Turkish.
He was last seen on stage at the Burgtheater Vestibül in Das Licht der Welt (dir. Maximilian Pellert). As an artistic collaborator, he contributed to the Nestroy Award-nominated production MINIHORROR (Theater am Werk, dir. Aslı Kışlal) and to Nach der Wahl sind wir nicht mehr so lustig (Kosmos Theater, dir. Aslı Kışlal).
Further stage credits include ENGLISH (Theater Drachengasse, dir. Joanna Godwin-Seidl), Escape Patriarchy (diverCITYLAB, dir. Anna de Carlo), Linienwallungen – Down the Buzzing Boulevard (dir. Paul Spittler), Yangın – Feuer (Argekultur Salzburg, dir. Ebru Tartici Borchers), An Enemy of the People (The Norwegian Ibsen Company), and /please/don’t shoot the messenger (Theater am Werk, dir. Leonardo Raab).
Beyond acting, Anillo has worked in costume departments on various commercial productions. As a writer, he develops short films that explore themes such as migration, belonging, and the pressures of artistic conformity. His artistic work often explores how cultural identity and systemic expectations shape the performing body.
Jihad Alkhatib is Sheikh
Jihad is a theatre and film actor. He studied Business Administration at Al-Quds Open University and Acting at the Drama Academy in Ramallah, which cooperates with the Folkwang University of the Arts in Germany.
He has performed in short films and theatre productions in Palestine, Italy, Germany, and Austria. Among other works, he appeared in Traiskirchen – The Musical, which premiered at the Volkstheater in June 2017, as well as Crossing Jerusalem at Theater Drachengasse, and Die Emigranten as part of Kultursommer Wien. He received ovations for his performance as Sad in Dreck by Robert Schneider, performed at Kultursommer Wien for vienna theatre project.
Mein Jihad (performed at various cultural venues across Austria) is a monodrama written and performed by Jihad himself. It humorously tells the story of a young man who, not least because of his name and the catastrophic connotations of the word "Jihad" in the West, faces countless challenges.
He has performed on various stages throughout Austria and lives and works as a freelance actor in Vienna.
Jihad is also our cultural advisor for this play.
Please note the information above, and any links on the region are from the internet and may contain bias. We invite you to do your own research.
The play takes place in...
Abu Qash is a small village near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Chosen as the setting for Grey Rock, it reflects the everyday reality of many Palestinian communities—quiet, modest, and marked by the ongoing weight of political occupation. Its significance lies not in any dramatic event, but in its ordinariness: a place where life continues despite restriction, where people navigate memory, grief, identity, and resilience. Abu Qash becomes a lens through which we glimpse the tension between stillness and aspiration in a land so often defined by conflict from the outside.
Director
The actress and director studied film & theatre in the United Kingdom & Vienna. Joanna has been running vienna theatre project since 2006. Her German language directing credits include Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern (Ronacher Theater) and Hautnah (Patrick Marber) for Theaterverein Vision (OFF Theater). Emigranten (Kultursommer Wien). Recent musicals include The Last Five Years, Tick, Tick... Boom! (nominated Best Musical & Best Ensemble of the Decade by BackStage), and Marry Me a Little (Theater Drachengasse).
She enjoys selecting plays with social and political themes, such as Dirt (Theater am Petersplatz) and The Meeting (Black History Month/Theater am Petersplatz), among others. In 2014, she directed the hit play Topdog/Underdog (Theater Drachengasse) and received rave reviews for Disgraced and The Invisible Hand (2016). Joanna directed sold-out shows including The Who & The What also by Ayad Akhtar (Theater Drachengasse), Building the Wall by Schenkkan. For her first opera experience, she immersed herself in the wonderful Barber of Seville at Klassikfestival Schloss Kirchstetten.
She produced A Bedfull of Foreigners at MUTH with Art for Charity, directed The Mountaintop by Katori Hall (her 3rd Pick of the Week, Austrian press) and Nina Simone: Four Women by Christina Ham, both of which were celebrated by the press and public. She performed in Relative Values by Noel Coward at Le Studio Molière in November 2021 and 2023. Her 2022/23 directorial hits include Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill and Dreck (Kultursommer Wien). She received critical acclaim, as an actress in Psychosis 4.48 and for Persephone in Airswimming by Charlotte Jones. Joanna enjoyed standing ovations for The P Word by Waleed Akhtar and N by Adrienne Pender, both of which she directed and produced. She most recently gained accolades for the multi award winning show English by Sanaz Toossi.
To relax, Joanna delights in lending her voice for films, ads and documentaries. Next project is Albrechts Letzter Tag a film by award-winning film director Aneek Chaudhuri, and MISS-Adventure, a theatre festival, both in 2025. Joanna is thrilled to be working on another wonderful show, with an amazing team.
Visit www.joannagodwinseidl.com & www.viennatheatreproject.com
Amir Nizar Zuabi
Amir Nizar Zuabi is an award-winning playwright and director. He was the founding Artistic Director of ShiberHur Theater Company, an Associate Director of the Young Vic Theatre, a member of the United Theaters Europe for artistic achievement, and an alumni of The Sundance Institute Theatre Program.
Following his work on The Walk, in January 2022 he took up the role of Artistic Director of The Walk Productions Limited.
His writing and directing credits include I am Yusuf and This is my Brother, In the Penal Colony, Oh My Sweet Land The Beloved (ShiberHur/Young Vic); Three Days of Grief, West of Us The Sea, Mid Spring Musical, Dry Mud, Against A Hard Surface (ShiberHur); Last Ward, Who Killed You Asmahan, The Huta and Grey Rock (Remote Theater Project, La Mama NYC).
Directing credits include: Samson and Delilah (Flanders Opera, Antwerp); Jidarriya by Mahmoud Darwish (Edinburgh International Festival, Bouffes du Nord and world tour); Forget Herostratus, Le Mallade Imaginer, War or More, Sneeze, Deep Sorrow, Fall Tale, When The World Was Green, Lanterns Of The King Of Galilee, Taha and The Comedy of Errors (Royal Shakespeare Company).
With music by...
Kamyab Sadeghi - Composer
In 2016, Kamyab became a member of the Iran Music House. In 2017, he moved to Vienna, Austria, to pursue further studies in orchestra conducting at the Richard Wagner Conservatory under the supervision of Prof. Christian Schulz. During this time, he gained valuable experience conducting choirs and orchestras at the conservatory. Kamyab is active in fusion music, blending Persian, Pop, and Jazz styles. He began working as a singer and composer with the Fusika Band at Opmusicbridge Company. In 2019, he joined the U-Star group, and in 2020, he collaborated with the vienna theatre project as a singer and composer for the "1001 Nights" project, performing live at renowned hotels. In the summer of 2021, he held a concert at the Kultursommer Festival.
In 2021, Kamyab completed the "Art of Music Production" online course at Berklee College of Music and has since been working as a private music teacher in Vienna. That same year, he founded his own band, Vernaband, and has since performed at numerous concerts and festivals. He also recorded and released the *Obscurity* EP with the band. Recently, Kamyab and his colleagues launched a project called *Märchen Suiten*, which combines music and dance.
In 2024, he began his role as the choir conductor of Musikfreunde, working on new projects.
Kamyab has a deep love for Persian music and strives to preserve Persian poetry by incorporating it into all of his compositions. Cultural preservation is a key element of his musical work.
A Dual Truth: The Need for a Home and the Cost of Its Creation
The creation of Israel in 1948 emerged from a profound and justified need: to provide a safe homeland for the Jewish people after centuries of persecution, culminating in the unimaginable trauma of the Holocaust. The world watched in horror and largely agreed—never again. A state where Jews could live in dignity, sovereignty, and safety was, for many, not just political necessity but moral imperative.
But this founding moment came at a devastating cost to another people. For Palestinians, the same moment is remembered as the Nakba—the catastrophe—when over 700,000 were expelled or fled, hundreds of villages destroyed, and a people rendered stateless. Since then, the reality of military occupation, settler expansion, and systemic discrimination has led many—including many Jews—to question whether the search for safety has eclipsed the values it was meant to protect.
The dream of refuge cannot be built on the ongoing denial of another people’s basic rights. To honour the original promise of a homeland is not to ignore its consequences—but to face them with honesty and moral clarity. Justice demands not the rewriting of history, but the recognition of it—and a future that offers dignity to all.
