Duo faced hazardous journey in bid to join in with festive interactive production

TWO Palestinian teachers have risked life and limb to come to Winsford after they promised to share their drama skills with youngsters.

Nuha I'tair, an advisory teacher, and Suzan Al-Rije, a primary school teacher, travelled for 12 hours on a hazardous trip through Palestine, from their homes south of Hebron to Amman airport, a journey which would usually take two hours.

Troubles between Palestine and Israel made the trip particularly dangerous for the two teachers.

But now safely in England they will help over 2,000 infants from across Cheshire take part in the annual Christmas Experience production at Verdin Arts Centre.

Just hours before they touched down at Manchester Airport drama education services advisor Sue Welshman thought they may not arrive.

She said: "It was literally touch and go, and even now another of the teachers who was invited as long ago as last summer to take part has been unable to breach security cordons to reach us.

"But we are delighted to have two extremely talented teachers join us from Palestine to share this production which, while totally non-political, is about the effects of power between unequal peoples."

The interactive drama recounts the tale of a tyrant King who makes impossible demands for supplies from a poor shoemaker. Children are asked to come up with solutions.

The production, which is a joint venture between the county council and Chester College of Higher Education, is based on a short story, The Slope by Ghassan Kanafani, and was funded by the Millennium Pilgrimage event.