PERZEN. TRIOMF VAN EMPATHIE

persians. triumph of empathy

ongoing

Persians. Triumph of Empathy is a remarkable theatre production directed by Chokri Ben Chikha. In this performance, he and six performers explore how to be more understanding and empathetic in a conflict that has been going on for decades: the conflict between Israel and Palestine. They do this by looking at one of the oldest plays in history,  Persians by the Greek writer Aeschylus.

Persians by Aeschylus is about a war between the Greeks and the Persians, in which the writer himself fought against the Persians. The central question is: did Aeschylus have empathy and understanding for his enemy, or did he mainly want to show how superior the Greeks were? By asking these questions, the performers look for connections between this ancient story and today's genocide in the Middle East.

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

NRC (NL) ★★★★ — “Director Chokri Ben Chikha refuses to succumb to an overly simplistic message of peace.”

Apache.be (BE) — “The most radical attempt to make the audience aware of the genocide in Gaza and the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian issue was undoubtedly ‘Persians. Triumph of Empathy’ by Chokri Ben Chikha, Action Zoo Humain & NTGent.”

  • Thu 26.02.2026 - De Grote Post, Oostend (BE)

    Sa 28.02.2026 - CC Sint-Niklaas (BE)

    Sa 28.03.2026 - CC Zwaneberg (BE)

  • Mo 27.01 - International Theatre Amsterdam (NL)
    Th 20.02 - CC Westrand, Dilbeek (BE)
    We 13.03 - Theatre Rotterdam (NL)
    Th 14.03 - Theatre Rotterdam (NL)
    Fr 16.05 - Schouwburg Groningen (NL)
    Su 1.06 - Wiener Festwochen, Vienna (AT)
    Mo 2.06 - Wiener Festwochen, Vienna (AT)
    Tu 3.06 - Wiener Festwochen, Vienna (AT)
    Su 3.08 - Theater aan Zee (TAZ#25), Oostend (BE)

  • Th 20.06 - NTGent Schouwburg (BE) - Premiere

    Fr 21.06 - NTGent Schouwburg (BE)
    Sa 22.06 - NTGent Schouwburg (BE)
    Fr 29.11 - NTGent Schouwburg (BE)
    Sa 30.11 - NTGent Schouwburg (BE)
    Su 01.12 - NTGent Schouwburg (BE)
    Th 12.12 - Budascoop, Kortrijk (BE)
    Sa 14.12 - CC Blankenberge (BE)

  • Apache.be (BE)

    “The most radical attempt to make the audience aware of the genocide in Gaza and the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian issue was undoubtedly ‘Persians. Triumph of Empathy’ by Chokri Ben Chikha, Action Zoo Humain & NTGent.”

    > Full Analysis by Chief Editor Karl van den Broeck (Dutch)

  • NRC (NL)

    ★★★★★

    In “Persians”, it is not the Palestinians or the Israelis who are placed at the centre of his narrative, but the concept of “empathy” itself. (...) Director Chokri Ben Chikha refuses to succumb to an overly simplistic message of peace.

    > Read Review (Dutch)

  • De Standaard (BE)

    ★★★★

    In Persians. Triumph of Empathy, Chokri Ben Chikha and Action Zoo Humain bring together Israelis and Palestinians to mourn, talk, act, and dance. ‘The biggest challenge’ they ‘ever tackled’ became a necessary and deliberate punch in the gut.

    > Read Review (Dutch)

  • Knack Focus (BE)

    ★★★½

    Ben Chikha chooses not to collectively break his audience down and make them cry. He wants to make them collectively reflect on how pointless it ultimately is to rely solely on empathy.

    > Read Review (Dutch)

  • Süddeutsche Zeitung (DE)

    ‘Persians' at Wiener Festwochen: Disruptive, dystopian, captivating.

    > Read Review (German)

  • Etcetera (BE)

    Boldly nuanced and both enlightening and challenging.

    > Read Review (Dutch)

  • Der Standard (AU)

    [Persians. Triumph of Empathy] measures the temperature [of its time]. It shows restless people who are part of a global society that no longer wants to accept war as an inevitable fate imposed on them. (…) The performance highlights the importance of the [Wiener] Festwochen as a place for theatrical and social experimentation and debate. Big applause.

    > Read Review (German)

  • PZAZZ (BE)

    Rarely do you see theatre that manages to confront fiction and topicality, word and image, repertoire and performance so cleverly and punishingly. (...) risky, necessary, cutting edge.

    > Read Review (Dutch)

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  • Concept/direction/choreography Chokri Ben Chikha
    With and by Hellen Boyko, Sofiane El Boukhari, Liah Frank, Marah Haj Hussein/Natalie Salsà, Mareille Labohm, Moussa Ndiaye

    Dramaturgy Sietske de Vries
    Text Erik-Ward Geerlings and performers

    Movement coaches Izah Hankammer, Daisy Phillips
    Film Jan Beddegenoodts
    Soundscape Jo Thielemans
    Lighting design Dennis Diels
    Set design Karolien De Schepper
    Costume design Chloé Wasselin-Dandre

    Production management Irina Leskovskaya
    Technical production management Patrick Martens
    Stage management Bennert Vancottem
    Technical crew Geert De Rodder, Jo Thielemans, Wim Piqueur
    Surtitles Liesbeth Standaert
    Production assistent Clara François

    Photography Kurt van der Elst

    Production Action Zoo Humain & NTGent
    Coproduction Theater Rotterdam
    Partners the City of Ghent and the Flemish Government
    With the support of The Belgian Tax Shelter
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