lupestripe | Walking The Wall

Last night Wolfie and I went to see left-wing polemicist Mark Thomas's new show 'Walking The Wall'. Thomas is too much of a Socialist for my personal political tastes but I have always believed it is good to listen to all sides of the debate and appreciate the views of others before making your own judgement. I have never been someone who just blindly follows.

Detailing his 723km ramble along the concrete barrier which now separates Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank, it was a fascinating insight into life in this troubled region. You may not think this subject is ripe for comedy but the people he met and the experiences he had made for some amusing stories. His various encounters with Israeli soldiers and bitter Palestinians blaming the British over the current situation were particularly interesting. Walking with the consulate general was a definite highlight.

The show was cacheted in the troubled politics of the area and, although Thomas clearly has more empathy for the Palestinian cause, his show was quite fair and balanced. His experiences did have a strong political message but he condemned both sides of the divide and some of what he said was truly shocking. Furthermore some of what he saw was extremely emotive and added a significant depth to the show.

In the end it was a good night out which offered a fascinating perspective on life in this region. And nothing highlights the farce of division more than humour, which I think was demonstrated well.

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.