This November, Half Moon Theatre welcomes Bones in the Desert, a powerful new play exploring how the impact of war can echo across generations.

Written by British-Armenian playwright Joe Nerssessian, the 60-minute production follows Artur, a 19-year-old refugee struggling to find his place in modern-day Berlin after fleeing the Syrian civil war.

When someone from his past reappears, an unexpected reunion forces him to confront questions of identity, belonging and the cost of silence.

The story reaches back to the Armenian genocide of 1915, drawing parallels between the experiences of Armenians forced from their homes and Syrians displaced by conflict today.

For Joe, the subject is deeply personal.

His grandfather survived the Armenian genocide as a young boy but died before Joe was born.

Of his grandfather’s 11 brothers and sisters, only he and one sister survived.

Joe’s family history became the starting point for a play about inherited trauma and the stories we carry, even when we never experience the events ourselves.

“I became curious about epigenetics and inherited trauma,” Joe explains.

“I wanted to explore the mirrored experience of Armenians in 1915 and Syrians in 2015.”

The play began to take shape through Half Moon’s Narratives of Empathy and Resilience development programme in 2021.

What started as a short piece exploring Armenian identity grew into a full production, bringing together two lives separated by a century.

Although the subject matter is challenging, audiences can expect more than a history lesson.

With humour, moments of play and a pulsating soundtrack by Tony and Olivier Award-nominated composer Nick Powell, Bones in the Desert aims to move and entertain while encouraging us to look beyond our own experiences.

It’s a valuable story for young people aged 13 and over, but adults will find plenty to reflect on, too.

For families with teenagers, it offers a chance to experience something together and open up conversations about the world around us.

“I hope audiences can see where history is repeating itself and carry stories like this into their future with empathy, resilience and compassion,” Joe told me.

His invitation is simple: “Get off the screens and come see something real!”

Bones in the Desert runs at Half Moon Theatre, Limehouse, from Thursday, November 12, to Tuesday, November 17, before continuing on a UK tour.

Tickets are £9, with an onstage Q&A after the performance.

Book online at: halfmoon.org.uk

Stephen Beeny is the Communications Manager at Half Moon.

https://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/26665244.half-moon-play-explores-armenian-genocide-refugee-trauma/