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Funny Side Collective Ltd

@funnysidecollective

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Stand-up comedy workshops, direction, writing and consultation with Dr Sam Beale and her funny friends.
Life’s better on the Funny Side!

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The Bridge has launched at @bushtheatre !!

And… We are already down to the last few tickets.

Grab yours before they are all gone!

Thank you to everyone who has come to see the show so far.

Shout out to @sadiq Mayor of London - so glad you loved the show!

Who’s coming this week? Stick around to say hi after! by @funnysidecollective

First look at The Bridge 🇵🇸

Every year, Alaa’s mother sends a gift of separation from her home in Jenin to her sister in Amman. A container of olive oil made from his grandfather’s olive trees. And this year, as every year, Alaa is delivering it himself.

A human tale of family and connection, hope and joy, set against the brutal truths of the impacts of colonialism and the broken promises of the British in Palestine.

CAST & CREATIVES:
Writer & Performer | Alaa Shehada
Co-Writer & Director | Sam Beale
Movement Director | Micaela Miranda
Composer & Sound Designer | Julius Pollux Rothlaender
Lighting Designer | Lily Dawford
Project illustrations | Jazz Thompson
Project Animations | Charlotte Knowles
Technical Operator | Jacob Butcher
Voiceover Artists | Ameena Adileh & Sami Abu Wardeh

🚏Presented by Palestine Comedy Club
🗓️ Running until 11 Nov
🎟️ tickets via link in bio

📸: @craigfullerphotography by @funnysidecollective

THE BRIDGE opens today 🇵🇸

Break a leg to the incredible @alaashehada_ and to our wonderful creatives and crew! ❤️

🚏Presented by Palestine Comedy Club, The Bridge is co-written with and directed by Sam Beale.
🗓️ 28 Oct - 11 Nov
🎟️ tickets via link in bio by @funnysidecollective

This is your public service announcement that there's less than 2 weeks until The Bridge opens in the Holloway ❤️🖤🤍💚

"Natural storyteller" (⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Skinny) Alaa Shehada returns to the Bush with his high-energy mix of stand-up and physical comedy in his second Fringe First Award-winning show after The Horse of Jenin.

Don't miss this story "performed with fun" and "driven home with fury" (⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Guardian) in its strictly limited 2 week run.

Presented by @palestinecomedy in association with Bush Theatre.

🗓️ 28 Oct - 11 Nov
🎟️ from £15 through the link in bio
📸 by @regashots by @funnysidecollective

The Bridge: ARTWORK DROP 🇵🇸

Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada returns to the Bush in his second Scotsman Fringe First-winning show after The Horse of Jenin ❤️

Carrying a container of olive oil from the West Bank into Jordan, Alaa brings his high-energy mix of storytelling, stand-up and physical comedy to a story of family and connection, hope and joy - set against the brutal truths of the impacts of colonialism and the broken promises of the British in Palestine.

🚏Presented by Palestine Comedy Club, The Bridge is co-written with and directed by Sam Beale.
🗓️ 28 Oct - 11 Nov
🎟️ tickets via link in bio

📸: Regash (@regashots) by @funnysidecollective

Thank you to everyone who joined our FULLY-BOOKED film screening of "Palestine Comedy Club".

A big thank you to acclaimed directors Alaa Aliabdallah (Regash) and Charlotte Knowles, who joined our post-film Q&A and explored the challenges and triumphs of shooting a groundbreaking film that simultaneously made us laugh, think and moved us in a way that is rare to see in a comedy documentary.

Thank you also to the brilliant directors who took the time to answer questions from the audience despite the difficulties of joining us from Palestine in the first place.

Missed our Q&A? Don't worry, as we will upload the full video and video clips to our social media channels soon. Stay tuned. #charity #filmscreening #filmdirectors by @funnysidecollective

Wonderful to have Dr Sam Beale (Funny Side Collective) and Faisal Abu Alhayjaa (The Freedom Theatre) in Kulturhaus Brotfabrik in Vienna for the rehearsal and development period of their new comedy-theatre show, working title It’s Not The Time. In the show, Faisal tells stories of growing up in Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank of Palestine where he learned early that laughter can be an act of resistance and survival. Expect stories that are sharp, unexpected, and very funny, built with Sam, a comedy director who’s spent years helping performers find the punchline in the personal.

Next week they will give us an insight into their work. If you’re interested in joining us for this 40 min work-in-progress, please send us a DM.

Faisal Abu Alhayjaa is an actor and comedian from Jenin Refugee Camp, Palestine. A graduate of The Freedom Theatre Acting School, he has performed internationally as an actor, comedian and clown. In 2018 he toured the UK performing Showtime from the Frontline and collaborated with Sam for the first time.

Dr Sam Beale is a comedy writer, director, and teacher and founder of Funny Side Collective and Palestine Comedy Club. She works internationally with comedians, solo performers, theatre companies and community groups as a comedy director and has facilitated comedy projects and events in a wide range of contexts.

إنه لأمر رائع أن نستضيف الدكتورة سام بيل (Funny Side Collective) وفيصل أبو الهيجاء (The Freedom Theatre) في دار الثقافة «كولتور هاوس بروتفابريك» في فيينا. وهما يعملان حالياً على تطوير وتجربة عرضهما الكوميدي الجديد الذي يحمل العنوان المؤقت «It’s Not The Time». في العرض، يروي فيصل قصصًا من طفولته في مخيم جنين للاجئين في الضفة الغربية الفلسطينية، حيث تعلم منذ صغره أن الضحك يمكن أن يكون فعلًا من أفعال المقاومة والبقاء على قيد الحياة. استعدوا لقصص لاذعة ومفاجئة ومضحكة للغا� by @funnysidecollective

HERE WE GO. 🎭✨

Today, 14 September 2026, Faisal Abu Alhayjaa and Dr Sam Beale begin the development of Stand Up Stories, a new solo comedy performance created between Palestine and the UK, in Austria 🇦🇹

Drawn from personal stories, lived experience, improvisation and laughter, a new work begins to take shape.

A collaboration between The Freedom Theatre and Funny Side Collective, with the Vienna residency hosted by Kulturhaus Brotfabrik.

Supported by NOVACT through the @actxpalestine campaign, and BSST, through a donation from Southall Trust.

🎭 ✦ 🇵🇸 ↔ 🇬🇧 ✦ 🎙️

وها نحن ننطلق. 🎭✨

اليوم، ١٤ أيلول ٢٠٢٦، يبدأ فيصل أبو الهيجاء والدكتورة سام بيل في النمسا، رحلة تطوير «حكايات ستاند أب»، عرض كوميدي منفرد جديد يولد من تعاون فني بين فلسطين والمملكة المتحدة.

من الحكايات الشخصية، والتجربة المعاشة، والارتجال والضحك… يبدأ عمل جديد بالتشكّل على الخشبة.

المشروع تعاون بين مسرح الحرية وفاني سايد كوليكتيف، وتستضيف كولتورهاوس بروتفابريك إقامته الفنية في فيينا.

بدعم من نوفاكت ضمن حملة "تحرّك من أجل فلسطين" وبي إس إس تي، عبر تبرع من صندوق ساوثهول الائتماني. by @funnysidecollective

🫒🫒🫒

⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Guardian

We are absolutely thrilled with this review from @guardian

'Shehada is a witty performer, brimming with life'

'A story performed with fun is driven home with fury'

Our very final show is tonight at 8pm @assemblyfest Studio 2

It has been an absolutely incredible month, huge appreciation to everyone who has come to see The Bridge and helped spread the word.

See you next @bushtheatre in October!

Photo credit @regashots

#storytelling #theatre #edfringe #palestine by @funnysidecollective

🚨🚨EXTRA SHOWS🚨🚨

Fringe First winner The Bridge is back on for the very final weekend of Edinburgh Fringe. Here are some more lovely reviews!

The Bridge
8pm
28-30th Aug
Assembly George Square, Studio 2

And if you can't catch us up here, then come to @bushtheatre in November!

Photo credit @regashots

#storytelling #palestine #theatre #edfringe by @funnysidecollective

The Bridge has won The Scotsman Fringe First Award 🏆

“A Palestinian slice of life with warmth, character and humour” (The Scotsman), there are a final few performances of the run at Edinburgh Fringe before The Bridge opens at the Bush this October. Actor and comedian Alaa Shehada returns after his award-winning debut The Horse of Jenin sold out last year 🖤🤍💚❤️

🇵🇸 Presented by Palestine Comedy Club, The Bridge is co-written with and directed by Sam Beale.
🗓️ 28 Oct - 11 Nov
🎟️ tickets via link in bio by @funnysidecollective

All the way from Haifa, Hanna Shammas is in town and begins his first ever UK hour today at @edfringe

Join us this week as Hanna explores the complexities of everyday life as a Palestinian in the 1948 territories, whilst he tries to discover the cause of the hole in his heart that doctors recently discovered.

Hanna Shammas Takes It To Heart
14:15
24-30th Aug
@underbellyedinburgh Buttercup George Sq

#comedy #edfringe #standup #palestine by @funnysidecollective