Visa delays for a Palestinian comedian and theatre artist have upended a planned production at the York Theatre in Vancouver. The Cultch, in partnership with Rumble Theatre, has decided to screen a road movie, Palestinian Comedy Club, in place of Alaa Mohammed Said Shehada’s solo show, The Horse of Jenin. It was scheduled to run from October 8 to 11.
Shehada directed and stars in the film along with five other Palestinian stand-up comedians. Produced and co-directed by Charlotte Knowles, Palestinian Comedy Club follows these comics on tour as they cross checkpoints and borders.
“The show is a search for joy within the dark reality of life under occupation,” the Cultch states in a news release. “As the tour unfolds, the comedians draw in larger audiences, not just in Palestine and Israel, but around the world, culminating in an invitation to do a series of gigs in London, when suddenly everything changes.”
The film will be shown at the York Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on October 9 and 10. There will also be a 2 p.m. matinee on October 10 on a pay-what-you-choose basis.
Watch the trailer (above) for Palestinian Comedy Club.
Shehada waited in vain for a visa
U.K.-based Tough Crowd produced Palestinian Comedy Club and the sales agent is First Hand Films.
“Palestine Comedy Club serves as an exploration of comedy and the power of laughter to unite, liberate, challenge and heal,” First Hand Films states on YouTube. “Initially, we witness how the comedians blend comic traditions from the Western world with those rooted in Arab cultures to employ new tools for expression and create a fresh audience experience.
“This includes highlighting differences between ‘Westbankers’ and ’48ers’, encouraging open and honest reflections, and bridging differing generational viewpoints through the shared enjoyment of laughter. However, as Gaza faces relentless attacks, the mission to connect audiences through laughter and humanity becomes an existential imperative.”
Last month, the Cultch issued a news release noting that Shehada had applied for a visa on August 17, 2025, to perform The Horse of Jenin in Vancouver. The release stated that Shehada had completed biometrics in The Hague on September 25, 2025. Moreover, he “has successfully passed criminality and eligibility assessments”.
However, the release added that Refugees and Citizenship Canada did not process Shehada’s application for a Temporary Resident Visa.
MP Jenny Kwan condemns federal response
The Horse of Jenin was originally scheduled for March 2026, but was postponed until the fall in the hope that Shehada would be permitted to enter Canada. He lives in Amsterdam and has received a British work permit. He has already performed the show in New York and Edinburgh.
In August, Vancouver East NDP MP Jenny Kwan criticized the federal government’s failure to process a Temporary Resident Visa.
“Mr. Shehada and The Cultch cannot keep rescheduling this performance indefinitely,” Kwan stated at the time. “I must note that my office has assisted in flagging the urgency of many TRV applications for performing artists and in most cases, especially when biometrics were complete, the applications were successfully processed in time to make the scheduled performances. They need answers as to the timeline of his application so that they may plan accordingly.”
The Cultch will present Palestinian Comedy Club in partnership with Rumble Theatre at the York Theatre in Vancouver on October 9 and 10.
