After Elijah, winner of the Stiles and Drew 2021 award, is a new musical hitting the theatre scene. With the book, music and lyrics all written by Omar Baroud, the musical had its first-ever showcase today (1st July 2022) at London’s The Other Palace, and let me say – this is a show you will want – no, need – to keep on your radar. After Elijah is something truly exceptional, unique and unforgettable.
With the cast composed of Sharif Afifi, Parisa Shahmir, Nick Carter, Jodie Jacobs, Stephen Rahman-Hughes and Lanna Joffrey, we have our family of whom the show is about. Specifically, about Elijah. After Elijah is a show that delves into the life of Elijah – what it’s like to be gay and closeted in a Middle Eastern family, the struggle of wanting to come out..and the difficulties of doing so – even when he is dating his housemate. Throughout the show, we see two timelines. One with Elijah, and one without – after he’s gone. We see and hear his family revisit memories they have with Elijah, one by one, as we piece together his life and the events that led us to where the family are in the present.
After Elijah is a gorgeous show full of really impactful scenes, songs and moments between characters. But it’s also so much more than gorgeous. It’s raw, honest, emotional, and heartbreaking. For a lot of people, After Elijah is not just a show – the themes, content and subject matter are all too real. All the more reason why a show like this is needed. Not just a show, but specifically this show. It’s hard enough having to come out to family in any circumstance, yes. But add in the cultural factors that come from being LGBT in a Middle Eastern family and that adds yet more difficulty. After Elijah felt to me like a celebration of what it’s like to be in a Middle Eastern family, told authentically and in a way that both people who share that heritage and people who don’t, can all watch and enjoy; having said this, the show is a celebration, yes, but on another level, it is also an honest insight into what it’s like to be LGBT in a culture that still has progress to make.
As said before, After Elijah is a gorgeous show. The book, music and lyrics are sublime and a real treat to the ears. The showcase today was a script-in-hand performance, yet still managed to move me to tears within mere seconds of the show starting. The cast were clearly so comfortable in their roles, so passionate and enthusiastic in the story they were telling, that the scripts seemed to melt away before me and I barely even noticed them throughout the performance. Even hearing the stage directions was a wonder; hearing the vision of this show really built up images in my imagination of how this show will look fully staged – I just really hope with every fibre of my being that gets to become a reality one day, to see this show be brought to life even more.
Every person on The Other Palace stage today put their full heart and soul into the performance today. I felt every emotion, and with me being someone of Middle Eastern heritage myself, the show hit even closer to home. Every person in the family gets their own time to shine, their own song, their own moment to step back in time and take the audience with them. The storytelling of this show is very cleverly and creatively carried out in a way that felt both very fitting and mesmerising.
Whilst After Elijah is an incredibly crafted show and a joy to watch and hear, that does not make it any easier on the emotions, however. The heartbreak for Elijah as he faces an internal battle to be his true authentic self, the heartbreak for the family as they mourn their loss, revisit their memories, and recount the last things they said to him. The heartbreak for the way things could or should have been, and the way things are.
With About Elijah being a show with content matter that is real to so many people, combined with the people at the heart of this story all being Middle Eastern, brings forth a show that has representation that is not seen enough in the theatre industry. This will not only give LGBT people a chance to see themselves on stage and feel seen and represented but the same too for Middle Eastern people. Then combine the two – Middle Eastern LGBT people – and you have a whole demographic of people who may very rarely – if ever – have seen themselves seen on stage before now. A beautiful thing about theatre is it can be a reflection of real life, it can tell stories that expand the way people view the world and can change people’s perspectives. I truly believe After Elijah is a show that has the potential to really open people’s eyes and minds and bring positive change. Just imagine – a young Middle Eastern person watching the show, a closeted LGBT Middle Eastern person because they can’t tell their family for the exactct reasons seen in this show – being cut off from the family and kicked out. Suddenly, they see themselves in this material and…they realise they’re not alone. On another level, imagine if this show could have the potential to start conversations with family, to create a safe space and a way for people to come out to their loved ones. Theatre is so powerful and impactful, a magic of its own – who knows what After Elijah could do? Granted After Elijah is not a happy musical, but it is real. And it has the potential and power to give someone comfort in seeing themselves in this show, in seeing they’re not alone. In seeing someone like them. That is the impact theatre can have and that cannot be emphasised enough.
Everyone who made the first showcase event of After Elijah happen today deserves all the well-deserved praise, and Omar Baroud deserves all the praise and recognition for being the reason this very show exists. It is clear he is very talented to bring such a story together in such a clever, respectful, emotive and effective way.
The fact all this love, heartbreak, hope and many more complex emotions (such is life!) were able to come across in a first-time showcase is a testament to how special this new musical is, and just how much it is needed. This is the exact kind of new British musical the west end needs. It’s brave, emotional, honest, poignant – a really, truly special creation. Baroud has shown his creative talents here and written a show that transcends words. For the show to be this incredible and to have had this much of an immense impact on me already in these very early stages is very telling; I am sure After Elijah has a strong future ahead of it with plenty to come; the showcase today already has me incredibly excited for the future of the show and to see what happens for it next; whatever that may be, I will be there with bated breath and cheering it on every step of the way.
Remember the name of this new musical – After Elijah (I doubt I shall ever forget it!) – and keep it in your minds. You will want to keep this show on your radar. This is not just the new musical the theatre industry wants right now, but it is also the new musical the theatre industry needs.
Follow After Elijah to stay up to date on the future of the show:
Twitter: @AfterElijahUK
Instagram: @AfterElijahMusical
One Show at a Time 