Bones in the Desert

Two lives. One past. A hundred years apart. A story that refuses to stay buried.

Join us on Thursday 26 November to watch Half Moon Theatre’s production of Bones in the Desert by British-Armenian playwright Joe Nerssessian.

Berlin, 2022. Artur, a 19-year-old refugee, is trapped between worlds, haunted by the memory of his desperate escape from the Syrian civil war.

Then someone from his journey shows up: Hagop. Same age, same trauma, same questions. What begins as a joyful reunion becomes a reckoning with identity, with memory and with the question of how to be free.

From the deserts of 1915 to the turbulence of today, Bones in the Desert explores the legacy of genocide and the lives it still touches. With humour, heart and a pulsating soundtrack, this immersive new play speaks directly to mental wellbeing, racism in contemporary Europe and the cost of silence.

Each performance will be followed by a 20-minute post-show Q&A with cast members and stage management.

This theatre production is suitable for young audiences aged 13+ and adults (children aged under-16 must be accompanied by an adult).

Book a seat for free here.

About Joe Nerssessian

Joe Nerssessian is a British-Armenian writer who grew up by the seaside in Kent, detached from the global Armenian diaspora. After several years searching for connection with his heritage, he moved to Armenia in 2018 where he worked as a journalist and teacher. Upon returning to the UK, he studied for an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Kent. He writes both fiction and creative non-fiction, exploring subjects including death, grief, inherited trauma, as well as Armenia and the Armenian Genocide – of which his grandfather was a survivor. He is currently based in Berlin.

About Half Moon Theatre

Half Moon is the UK’s leading small-scale young people’s theatre venue and touring company. Working from their base in Limehouse, East London, they offer young people an opportunity to experience the best in young people’s theatre, both as a participant and as an audience member.

Half Moon productions don’t educate, as such, advocating instead that there are not always correct answers or solutions when talking about or addressing prejudice, social injustices, equality and social inclusion.