A man in a black coat and jeans stands lit in blue on stage with his arms outstretched.

20-21 Jun 2025

Penguin

Hamzeh Al Hussien & Amy Golding

One man’s extraordinary journey from Syria to England. “Be proud. Be who you are. Be more Penguin.”

Event Details
Date 20-21 Jun 2025
Times Various times
Location The Beacon – Bowling Park
Ages 12+

“This is the story of my life (so far). People have a lot of questions. The answer is: ‘Yes. I can do anything.’ ”

Hamzeh Al Hussien arrived in the UK five years ago as part of the Syrian Resettlement Programme. And now in this stage show, this remarkable man is taking you with him on an unforgettable journey to the places he knows best.

Penguin takes us from Hamzeh’s village in the Syrian mountains to Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan and on to his new home in Gateshead. And it takes us inside his mind, a place full of music, dancing, fantasies… and marbles. Hamzeh invites the audience to be his childhood friends, to hold up the Moon to light his way, and to join him in his dreams. Don’t miss this uplifting story of hope, courage, resilience and love.

“This is the story of a journey, my journey, and it’s all true.”

“Uplifting tale of finding self-acceptance and joy” ****  – The Stage

“an extraordinary tale, told with beautiful simplicity”Disability Arts Online

Content warnings

This show includes stories about being displaced due to war, refugee camps and ableism (disability discrimination).

Watch the trailer

Visit The Beacon in Bowling Park

The Beacon is a custom-made touring venue for Bradford 2025.

From Thursday 22 May to Sunday 22 June 2025, The Beacon will be in Bowling Park.

Plan your visit below, or get in touch with us on [email protected] for more information.

Bowling Park
Bowling Hall Rd
Bradford
BD4 7TL

Credits
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, the British Council and North Shields Cultural Quarter.

Images © Photos by Ish

Access

Join our access scheme to view access tickets or contact our Ticketing team for more information.
Sign up
Wheelchair spaces available to book

If you are a member of our access scheme, sign in to your Bradford 2025 account to book a wheelchair space and companion ticket.

If you have any questions or would like to join the scheme, contact our Ticketing team on [email protected]

Past event

Were you at this event?

Complete our feedback form and let us know what you thought.

Share your feedback
A man in a beanie, scarf and furry white coat stands on a stage with his arms outstretched

Related Events

A portrait photo of two best mates and performance/live art makers, Jess Murrain and Lua Bairstow. There is a small silver car with a Palestine sticker on its window, parked beside a road on the edge of the Baildon Moor in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Jess, a brown person with blonde and brown afro hair, is standing in front of the back of the car. Posed, looking directly at the camera. Wearing white Doc Martens, grey trousers with pink pinstripes, a sheer black shirt, a vivid pink feather boa, sunglasses and headphones. The door of the car is open. Lua, a white, gender non-conforming person, is standing next to Jess and beside the open car door, looking back at the road behind them. Wearing a pinstriped suit with a turquoise shirt just peeking through.

NEUROQUEER: Part 1

Exploring NEUROQUEER as action, verb, identity.

A woman with short hair poses with a microphone.
Part of Loading Bay

Loaded Laughs

Bradford 2025's comedy night.

FREE Part of Our Patch

Talkabout… Who am I? Who are You? Who are We?

An evening of theatrical celebration chronicling some of the lives lived in Silsden in 2025.

A woman with long dark hair and wearing a pink dress stares into the camera - her background is red and she's holding a microphone.
Part of Loading Bay

Urooj Ashfaq: How To Be A Baddie

Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer Urooj Ashfaq is back, but this time she’s different.

FREE

If All the World Were…

Tutti Frutti Productions and Bradford & Leeds Libraries

A beautifully performed reading of "If All the World Were..." by award-winning children’s writer Joseph Coelho.

A red and black image of a man with short dark hair looking away from the camera.
SOLD OUT Part of Loading Bay

Steven Frayne: Back Home and Magical

Steven Frayne returns to his home city of Bradford for a special UK City of Culture residency.

Three women look into a mirror. They wear gold dresses and have drawings on their faces. One of them has a penis drawn on her forehead.
Part of Loading Bay

EGGS COLLECTIVE’S DARK NIGHTS

Twisted cabaret nights at Loading Bay.

A dancer poses in the dark just before dawn. They are outside, wearing a blue top, jacket and loose trousers.
SOLD OUT

Brighter Still

The finale! Join us for our big closing event - and look ahead to a brilliant Bradford future together.