The Invaders' Fear of Memories

Shwa Shwa Theatre Company presents

The Invaders’ Fear of Memories

A Play About the Colonisation of Palestine

Written and performed by Benjamin Rivers

Directed by Linda Wise

“The Invaders’ Fear of Memories” is a solo theatre piece based on the life and diaries of Yousef Nachmani – a Russian Jew who migrated from Tsarist Russia to Ottoman Palestine in 1907. Nachmani became Director of the Jewish National Fund in the Galilee and subsequently played a central role in the ethnic cleansing of thousands of Palestine’s indigenous inhabitants. 

The play offers a perspective into the origins of settler-colonialism and apartheid in modern-day Israel, exploring themes of loyalty, violence, ideology, and grief.

"The Invaders’ Fear of Memories" is performed by Ben Rivers, the great grandson of Nachmani. Over the course of the play, Rivers performs 12 characters and sings in Arabic, Hebrew, Ukrainian, and Yiddish.

The production is directed by Linda Wise, an original member of the iconic Roy Hart Theatre Company. Since August 2023, "The Invaders’ Fear of Memories" has been performed to audiences in Australia, France, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Portugal and Ireland with upcoming shows planned for the USA.

The show runs for 75 minutes with no interval. Please join us afterwards for a QandA with Ben Rivers.

Content warning: Contains themes and descriptions of political violence, including massacres, rape, and ethnic cleansing. These scenes may be distressing to some audience members. Viewer discretion is advised. Recommended for mature audiences.