Ahmed Masoud’s Application 39 will visit Stratford East this October as part of the sharply satirical, future-facing drama’s UK tour.
Directed by Cressida Brown, Palestinian writer Masoud’s play imagines “a Gaza risen from ruin, unexpectedly awarded the right to host the 2048 Olympic Games, exactly 100 years after the Nakba.” It is described as bold, irreverent and rooted in lived testimony as well as speculative hope. The full cast is due to be announced.
In Application 39, two young IT workers in the municipality of Gaza hack the bid process for the 2048 Olympics as a prank – and win. Their “victory” becomes a surreal yet pressing journey through occupation, bureaucracy, absurdity, and reconstruction. This stage version draws on real-life testimonies, including from Gaza itself, to pose a radical question: what if Gaza were no longer rubble and siege – but a site of global gathering, resistance and renewal?
The production comes from ETT (English Touring Theatre), Matthew Schmolle Productions and Stratford East. The set and costume designer is Charlotte Espiner, the LX designer is Imogen Clarke, the sound design is by Ed Lewis and the composer is Sami El-Anany.
Opening at Bristol Old Vic, the production tours to Northern Stage in Newcastle, New Wolsey in Ipswich, Factory International’s Aviva Studios in Manchester and finally Stratford East in London, where it plays on October 13-14, 2026.
Tickets for Stratford East go on sale on August 13 here.
Top image: Application 39 artwork (image supplied)