Overview

A bitter sweet, dark political comedy based on one man's true story and his odyssey in search for identity, And Here I Am is an epic voyage of identity and self-discovery based on Ahmed Tobasi's personal coming of age story.

Combining fact and fantasy, tragedy and comedy, spanning both the first Palestinian intifada and the second, we follow the protagonist through his transformation from resistance fighter to artist, his journey as a refugee from the West Bank to Norway and then back again.

Reviews

'Palestinian actor Ahmed Tobasi is an infectiously enthusiastic performer, almost impossible to dislike. When he’s not tumbling about the stage or bouncing off the walls, he’s facing the audience with his arms thrown open wide, grinning. And Here I Am is based on Tobasi’s own experiences – though by the time the 80 minutes is up, it feels like he’s lived several lifetimes... It’s his story to tell, and he’s surefooted and generous about it, revelling in his triumphs and refreshingly frank about his failures... A charming and compelling coming-of-age story that finds joy and redemption amid conflict.' The Stage

'Part of the Shubbak festival of Arab culture, Ahmed Tobasi performs his own story, written for the stage by Hassan Abdulrazzak, which charts his journey from Jihadist to actor. Along the way he asks if the stage really can be as powerful as an AK47. The enthusiasm with which the audience claps at the end suggests that it can be... Tobasi plays a number of characters with a sharp eye for the comic, including the leaders of the warring factions in the prison, and also family and friends... Tobasi is one of the lucky ones: he found refuge in Norway. But, he is still finding new weapons to tell his own and his people’s story..' The Guardian