Isobel Jacob
Covering being a “48-er”, to his two divorces, to his relationship with his mother and sister, Hanna Shammas Takes It To Heart is a stand-up comedy show framed with the story of when Shammas himself was told he had a literal hole in his heart. As he recalls this story, and builds up to surgery to (hopefully) fix it, Shammas ask, what caused the hole? How did it get there? A sweet hour with surprisingly touching moments as Shammas subtly explores his fraught identity living as Palestinian Arab living in Haifa with an Israeli passport.
Shammas’ recurring bit is his apology for not the ‘right’ kind of Palestinian. He is not from Gaza or the West Bank, he is able to access medical care… he doesn’t fit the image of Palestinians in the news who have had their homes and towns devastated and are living in refugee camps. It is this playful yet political edge that injects energy into Shammas’ show; he mocks his own privilege, whilst simultaneously pointing out the absurdity of the situation we have gotten to. Therefore, Shammas create a thought-provoking message about tokenistic views of Palestinians and the way the media conversation frames atrocities and the survivors of it.
Shammas seemed nervous in this performance, which I would expect is due to, as he told us, this being one of his first stand-up performances in English. With this in mind, he did a stellar job. However, at times his hesitancy got in the way of the pace and momentum of the show. It felt, at times, like he over-explained stories and jokes for too long, perhaps for fear of making sure we understood. I would encourage Shammas to lean in to the natural mistakes he may make in the future: when this did happen, it became hilarious and naturally created a very funny self-deprecating frustration, allowing Shammas’ charming personality to shine through.
An endearing hour of stand-up produced by the Palestine Comedy Club, an incredible initiative working to establish a stand-up comedy circuit across the West Bank and to develop a culture of live comedy performance in Palestine.
Recommended Drink: Slowly sip a Whiskey or Bourbon as you take in everything Hanna Shammas has to share.
Performances of Hanna Shammas Takes It To Heart have now concluded at EdFringe 2026.
Tom Clayton
Lola Rose Wood
Salvador Kent
