Queens of Syria (the documentary) tells the story of fifty women from Syria, all forced into exile in Jordan,who came together in Autumn 2013 to create and perform their own version of the Trojan Women, Euripides’ timeless Ancient Greek tragedy about the plight of women in war. Not one of them had ever acted before.
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What followed was an extraordinary moment of cross-cultural contact across millennia, in which women born in 20th century Syria found a blazingly vivid mirror of their own experiences in the stories of a queen, princesses and ordinary women like them, uprooted, enslaved,and bereaved by the Trojan War.
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It was a process charged with emotion and fraught with challenges, as long buried issues came to the surface, and at times the project itself hung in the balance.
Yasmin Fedda’s subtly crafted and beautifully shot film explores the difficult choices the women have to make about appearing on stage, and the close relationships they form within the group as they explore with each other their experiences. It shows their bravery and determination that their stories should be told to the world.
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The original production was invited to go on tour in the US and Switzerland, courtesy of Georgetown University in Washington DC, and Columbia University in New York, but sadly the casts visas were denied, so the tour was 'virtual' since unfortunately our original cast were unable to travel to the US as their visas were rejected. Listen here to the story on NPR. After we showed the trailer and some short clips from the documentary footage from 'Queens Of Syria', The inspirational cast of The Trojan Women received a standing ovation from a visibly moved Georgetown audience.Under the expert moderation and translation of Syrian broadcaster Honey Al Sayed, the cast, director and audience were able to have a discussion about the project, sharing experiences of participating in and of watching some of the performance. Despite thousands of miles and visa denials, the team at Georgetown enabled our cast to tell their stories and ask their questions, and gave the Washington audience a flavour of what (we hope!) is to come if visas are granted and a live performance is made possible.
You can discover more about the event in a report by Peter Marks in the Washington Post and also in a Foreign Policy article by Ambassador Cynthia Schneider, co-founder of the Georgetown Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics.
Geneva
The Talberg Institute also hosted nine of the cast members to mount an abridged version of The Trojan Women at CERN in Switzerland.
The original production was invited to go on tour in the US and Switzerland, courtesy of Georgetown University in Washington DC, and Columbia University in New York, but sadly the casts visas were denied, so the tour was 'virtual' since unfortunately our original cast were unable to travel to the US as their visas were rejected. Listen here to the story on NPR. After we showed the trailer and some short clips from the documentary footage from 'Queens Of Syria', The inspirational cast of The Trojan Women received a standing ovation from a visibly moved Georgetown audience.Under the expert moderation and translation of Syrian broadcaster Honey Al Sayed, the cast, director and audience were able to have a discussion about the project, sharing experiences of participating in and of watching some of the performance. Despite thousands of miles and visa denials, the team at Georgetown enabled our cast to tell their stories and ask their questions, and gave the Washington audience a flavour of what (we hope!) is to come if visas are granted and a live performance is made possible.
You can discover more about the event in a report by Peter Marks in the Washington Post and also in a Foreign Policy article by Ambassador Cynthia Schneider, co-founder of the Georgetown Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics.
Geneva
The Talberg Institute also hosted nine of the cast members to mount an abridged version of The Trojan Women at CERN in Switzerland.
The original production was invited to go on tour in the US and Switzerland, courtesy of Georgetown University in Washington DC, and Columbia University in New York, but sadly the casts visas were denied, so the tour was 'virtual' since unfortunately our original cast were unable to travel to the US as their visas were rejected. Listen here to the story on NPR. After we showed the trailer and some short clips from the documentary footage from 'Queens Of Syria', The inspirational cast of The Trojan Women received a standing ovation from a visibly moved Georgetown audience.Under the expert moderation and translation of Syrian broadcaster Honey Al Sayed, the cast, director and audience were able to have a discussion about the project, sharing experiences of participating in and of watching some of the performance. Despite thousands of miles and visa denials, the team at Georgetown enabled our cast to tell their stories and ask their questions, and gave the Washington audience a flavour of what (we hope!) is to come if visas are granted and a live performance is made possible.
You can discover more about the event in a report by Peter Marks in the Washington Post and also in a Foreign Policy article by Ambassador Cynthia Schneider, co-founder of the Georgetown Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics.
Geneva
The Talberg Institute also hosted nine of the cast members to mount an abridged version of The Trojan Women at CERN in Switzerland.
In 2013 Refuge Productions in partnership with Oxfam mounted a new production of Euripides’ great anti war tragedy the Trojan Women in Jordan with a cast of Syrian refugee women displaced by the war in Syria. The production was intended both as a psycho-social support measure for the participants, and as an advocacy tool to highlight the plight of Syrian refugees. The women who participated arrived at the workshops in varying states of suffering from depression, feelings of isolation and PTSD. Without claiming that the production cured these, the Syrian psychologist we employed to monitor the workshops and rehearsals confirmed that the process allowed the women to take back a great measure of self confidence and self respect, as well as finding a new support group through sharing each others’ stories and experiences. In 2013 the refugee crisis engulfing the region as a result of the civil war in Syria was very under-reported internationally. We correctly projected that showing this crisis in a different and dramatically surprising way would have a much wider impact in reporting terms, and as such the play was widely covered by regional and international press both in newsprint and on television.
Arwa Omaren
Born in Syria as a Palestinian refugee, Arwa Omaren is a talented actor and performer with an expansive background in the performing arts. After studying acting at the Higher Institute of Arts in Damascus, she graduated in 2011 and worked on various TV, theatre, and radio projects across Syria and Lebanon.
Fleeing from the war is Syria, Arwa relocated to the UK in 2018 as an asylum seeker, she shared her powerful journey in a documentary produced by Oxford University Archives. In 2020, she collaborated with BBC Radio 4 on Holy Mountain: Yarmouk, a compelling radio project. Most recently, in 2025, she contributed to a VR training film with Uniform Experiences.
Arwa has been a dedicated member of the Trojan Women Project for four years, using her artistry and expertise to co-runs our workshops and supports our Arabic speaking participants. She also plays the role of Hecuba in The Trojans UK.
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You can learn more about Arwa's incredible story of bravery and resilience in our podcast episode of 'Why am I in your country' on Spotify, apple, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Olha Shvets
Originally from Kherson, Ukraine, Olga Shvets is an accomplished poet and editor who relocated to the UK three years ago following the Russian occupation of her city. For 15 years, she served as the founder and operations manager of the An T-r-Akt Literary and Drama Festival, until the war forced its suspension. Olga has also curated and edited contemporary Ukrainian poetry collections, showcasing her dedication to amplifying the voices of Ukrainian writers.
Currently, Olga is pursuing a Master’s in Poetry at the London Poetry School (in partnership with Newcastle University) and a certificate in Drama Therapy.
She has been collaborating with the Trojan Women Project for three years, serving as the resident poet and dramaturg for The Trojans UK.
Alina Vinnichuk
Alina Vinnichuk is a highly skilled Ukrainian actress, dancer, and mime with a passion for storytelling through movement and performance. Her journey began in 2015 when she studied mime at the Kyiv Variety and Circus Academy, performing in productions at the National Circus of Ukraine. After graduating in 2018, she pursued a four-year acting degree at Kyiv University of Culture and Arts.
Following the outbreak of war in Ukraine, Alina relocated to London, where she continues to build her acting career. She has trained with the National Youth Theatre and is currently developing a Ukrainian folk play that celebrates the richness of Ukrainian culture and traditions. This production, inspired by the works of Olha Kobylianska—a renowned Ukrainian writer from over 100 years ago—blends mysticism, magic, romance, and the complex fates of its characters.
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Alina has been participating in The Trojan Women Project for over 3 years as our movement director and in the role of Cassandra in The Trojans UK.
Jimmy Auguste
Originally from the beautiful Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Jimmy brings over 17 years of experience in the food and events industry. Back home, he worked with top hotels and restaurants before launching his own successful event company, where he mastered the art of blending Caribbean and international flavors to create unique and exciting dishes.
In January 2023, Jimmy arrived in the UK seeking asylum after a life-changing incident forced him to start over. Now, he’s embracing the challenge of rebuilding his career and continuing to share his passion for food. With his expertise and creativity, he ensures that every dish is made with heart, flavor, and a touch of home.
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Jimmy has been working with the Trojan Women Project for two years as head of catering and chef, providing delicious, high quality meals for our participants every single workshop.
Luna Laurenti
Originally from the beautiful Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Jimmy brings over 17 years of experience in the food and events industry. Back home, he worked with top hotels and restaurants before launching his own successful event company, where he mastered the art of blending Caribbean and international flavors to create unique and exciting dishes.
In January 2023, Jimmy arrived in the UK seeking asylum after a life-changing incident forced him to start over. Now, he’s embracing the challenge of rebuilding his career and continuing to share his passion for food. With his expertise and creativity, he ensures that every dish is made with heart, flavor, and a touch of home.
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Jimmy has been working with the Trojan Women Project for two years as head of catering and chef, providing delicious, high quality meals for our participants every single workshop.