Khawla Ibraheem
Quote.
My work is rooted in storytelling. Storytelling is not only about history; its true power lies in the ability to shape future narratives: to create visions, open spaces for imagination, and invite us to think of a different reality.
And no, I am not naive. Art will not change the world. But it can reach people. It allows us to imagine, and every act that begins in imagination can find its way into reality.
Art becomes a rehearsal space: a practice for a world that is being rewritten beyond what we are told is possible.
Vita.
Khawla Ibraheem is an award-winning theatre maker, author, director, and performer, born in the Golan. Her work brings together intimate storytelling with urgent questions of memory, displacement, and belonging.
She studied theatre at the University of Haifa and has developed a versatile artistic practice across writing, directing, and performance.
Her best-known works include London-Jenin, which won the awards for Best Text and Best Direction at the Palestine Theatre Festival in 2019; Soon to Be Gone, telling the story of a displaced Syrian-Druze woman returning to her homeland; and the family musical The Story Keeper, which she also wrote and directed. She also directed the Arabic version of Florian Zeller's The Father, praised by audiences for its emotional depth and impact.
She gained international attention with A Knock on the Roof, a solo theatre piece she wrote and performs. The production was developed and directed by Oliver Butler and produced by piece by piece Productions. The world premiere took place at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2024, where the piece received several of the festival's most prestigious awards, including the Scotsman Fringe First Award, the Filipa Braganca Award for Solo Performance, the Edinburgh Award of Holden Street Theatres, and the Besties' Heart Award. The piece was also a finalist for the BBC Popcorn Writing Award.
In 2025, A Knock on the Roof was presented at the Under the Radar Festival in New York and then taken into the regular season of New York Theatre Workshop (Off-Broadway). The production earned Ibraheem a nomination for the Lucille Lortel Award (Outstanding Solo Show), a nomination for the Outer Critics Circle Awards (Outstanding Solo Performance), and recognition from the Drama Desk Awards. Later that year, the piece was shown at the Royal Court Theatre London, further cementing Ibraheem's international reputation as a leading voice in contemporary theatre.
Shows.
A Knock on the Roof
Franz Kafka: MILENA!
Between the River and the Sea
