Bones In The Desert

Bones In The Desert comes to The Playhouse on Thursday 19 November, with two performances on the one day: a matinee at 2pm and an evening show at 7pm. It's a new play by Joe Nerssessian, presented by Half Moon, the UK's leading small-scale young people's venue and touring company.

The story is set in Berlin in 2022 and follows Artur, a 19-year-old refugee who's still caught between worlds after escaping the Syrian civil war. When someone from his journey reappears, their joyful reunion unravels into a reckoning with identity, memory and the cost of silence. From there, the play stretches the long shadows of war from the deserts of 1915 to the chaos of today, confronting mental well-being, racism in contemporary Europe and the struggle for freedom. It's delivered with humour, heart and a pulsating soundtrack, and it speaks directly to young adults.

One thing to keep in mind is that it's fully immersive: there's no assigned seating and audiences stand throughout. It runs for around an hour with no interval, and it's recommended for ages 13 and over, as it contains strong language and mature themes. If you're taking a younger teen, that's a good one to know before you book. Between the matinee and the evening slot, you've got your choice of when to catch it.