HOLY MONKEY
Written by Nelly Winterhalder and Lois Armas
Sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen
Directed by David Kozma
Produced by Post Theatre Collective Commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute 
Part of Together again festival in autumn 2023 ”The pandemics hit the world like a tsunami, with several giant waves. Now, as the catastrophic waves withdraw, we slowly detect the impact that the past years have had on our lives, relations, work, habits, attitudes and values. 
The writers Lois Armas and Nelly Winterhalder place fictional characters in this post pandemic landscape and explore the emotional impact from a both personal, local and global perspective. 
The writing process will start from a common fictional frame which then allows each writer to express their artistic voice.” -Nelly Winterhalder The Middle Eastern Bloc podcast, started in 2020, reflects on the global pandemic through the eyes of people belonging to cultural and linguistic minorities (who live outside their birth country). When the first wave of the global pandemic hitted the world in Spring 2020, people were asked to stay home and avoid unnecessary contact except with their close family members. We started to wonder how people residing outside their birth country experience the situation. How people living away from their family coped with the situation. This podcast produced by Post Theatre Collective was part of Together alone 2.0 program in 2022 and this season 3 will be launched at the Together again festival in Autumn 2023, commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute. Post Theatre Collective has chosen Norway-based Nelly Winterhalder and Finland-based Lois Armas to be the writers of this season of the podcast. The episodes will be sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen directed by David Kozma.

HOLY MONKEY
Written by Nelly Winterhalder and Lois Armas
Sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen
Directed by David Kozma
Produced by Post Theatre Collective Commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute 
Part of Together again festival in autumn 2023 ”The pandemics hit the world like a tsunami, with several giant waves. Now, as the catastrophic waves withdraw, we slowly detect the impact that the past years have had on our lives, relations, work, habits, attitudes and values. 
The writers Lois Armas and Nelly Winterhalder place fictional characters in this post pandemic landscape and explore the emotional impact from a both personal, local and global perspective. 
The writing process will start from a common fictional frame which then allows each writer to express their artistic voice.” -Nelly Winterhalder The Middle Eastern Bloc podcast, started in 2020, reflects on the global pandemic through the eyes of people belonging to cultural and linguistic minorities (who live outside their birth country). When the first wave of the global pandemic hitted the world in Spring 2020, people were asked to stay home and avoid unnecessary contact except with their close family members. We started to wonder how people residing outside their birth country experience the situation. How people living away from their family coped with the situation. This podcast produced by Post Theatre Collective was part of Together alone 2.0 program in 2022 and this season 3 will be launched at the Together again festival in Autumn 2023, commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute. Post Theatre Collective has chosen Norway-based Nelly Winterhalder and Finland-based Lois Armas to be the writers of this season of the podcast. The episodes will be sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen directed by David Kozma.

HOLY MONKEY
Written by Nelly Winterhalder and Lois Armas
Sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen
Directed by David Kozma
Produced by Post Theatre Collective Commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute 
Part of Together again festival in autumn 2023 ”The pandemics hit the world like a tsunami, with several giant waves. Now, as the catastrophic waves withdraw, we slowly detect the impact that the past years have had on our lives, relations, work, habits, attitudes and values. 
The writers Lois Armas and Nelly Winterhalder place fictional characters in this post pandemic landscape and explore the emotional impact from a both personal, local and global perspective. 
The writing process will start from a common fictional frame which then allows each writer to express their artistic voice.” -Nelly Winterhalder The Middle Eastern Bloc podcast, started in 2020, reflects on the global pandemic through the eyes of people belonging to cultural and linguistic minorities (who live outside their birth country). When the first wave of the global pandemic hitted the world in Spring 2020, people were asked to stay home and avoid unnecessary contact except with their close family members. We started to wonder how people residing outside their birth country experience the situation. How people living away from their family coped with the situation. This podcast produced by Post Theatre Collective was part of Together alone 2.0 program in 2022 and this season 3 will be launched at the Together again festival in Autumn 2023, commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute. Post Theatre Collective has chosen Norway-based Nelly Winterhalder and Finland-based Lois Armas to be the writers of this season of the podcast. The episodes will be sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen directed by David Kozma.

HOLY MONKEY
Written by Nelly Winterhalder and Lois Armas
Sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen
Directed by David Kozma
Produced by Post Theatre Collective Commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute 
Part of Together again festival in autumn 2023 ”The pandemics hit the world like a tsunami, with several giant waves. Now, as the catastrophic waves withdraw, we slowly detect the impact that the past years have had on our lives, relations, work, habits, attitudes and values. 
The writers Lois Armas and Nelly Winterhalder place fictional characters in this post pandemic landscape and explore the emotional impact from a both personal, local and global perspective. 
The writing process will start from a common fictional frame which then allows each writer to express their artistic voice.” -Nelly Winterhalder The Middle Eastern Bloc podcast, started in 2020, reflects on the global pandemic through the eyes of people belonging to cultural and linguistic minorities (who live outside their birth country). When the first wave of the global pandemic hitted the world in Spring 2020, people were asked to stay home and avoid unnecessary contact except with their close family members. We started to wonder how people residing outside their birth country experience the situation. How people living away from their family coped with the situation. This podcast produced by Post Theatre Collective was part of Together alone 2.0 program in 2022 and this season 3 will be launched at the Together again festival in Autumn 2023, commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute. Post Theatre Collective has chosen Norway-based Nelly Winterhalder and Finland-based Lois Armas to be the writers of this season of the podcast. The episodes will be sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen directed by David Kozma.

HOLY MONKEY
Written by Nelly Winterhalder and Lois Armas
Sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen
Directed by David Kozma
Produced by Post Theatre Collective Commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute 
Part of Together again festival in autumn 2023 ”The pandemics hit the world like a tsunami, with several giant waves. Now, as the catastrophic waves withdraw, we slowly detect the impact that the past years have had on our lives, relations, work, habits, attitudes and values. 
The writers Lois Armas and Nelly Winterhalder place fictional characters in this post pandemic landscape and explore the emotional impact from a both personal, local and global perspective. 
The writing process will start from a common fictional frame which then allows each writer to express their artistic voice.” -Nelly Winterhalder The Middle Eastern Bloc podcast, started in 2020, reflects on the global pandemic through the eyes of people belonging to cultural and linguistic minorities (who live outside their birth country). When the first wave of the global pandemic hitted the world in Spring 2020, people were asked to stay home and avoid unnecessary contact except with their close family members. We started to wonder how people residing outside their birth country experience the situation. How people living away from their family coped with the situation. This podcast produced by Post Theatre Collective was part of Together alone 2.0 program in 2022 and this season 3 will be launched at the Together again festival in Autumn 2023, commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute. Post Theatre Collective has chosen Norway-based Nelly Winterhalder and Finland-based Lois Armas to be the writers of this season of the podcast. The episodes will be sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen directed by David Kozma.

HOLY MONKEY
Written by Nelly Winterhalder and Lois Armas
Sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen
Directed by David Kozma
Produced by Post Theatre Collective Commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute 
Part of Together again festival in autumn 2023 ”The pandemics hit the world like a tsunami, with several giant waves. Now, as the catastrophic waves withdraw, we slowly detect the impact that the past years have had on our lives, relations, work, habits, attitudes and values. 
The writers Lois Armas and Nelly Winterhalder place fictional characters in this post pandemic landscape and explore the emotional impact from a both personal, local and global perspective. 
The writing process will start from a common fictional frame which then allows each writer to express their artistic voice.” -Nelly Winterhalder The Middle Eastern Bloc podcast, started in 2020, reflects on the global pandemic through the eyes of people belonging to cultural and linguistic minorities (who live outside their birth country). When the first wave of the global pandemic hitted the world in Spring 2020, people were asked to stay home and avoid unnecessary contact except with their close family members. We started to wonder how people residing outside their birth country experience the situation. How people living away from their family coped with the situation. This podcast produced by Post Theatre Collective was part of Together alone 2.0 program in 2022 and this season 3 will be launched at the Together again festival in Autumn 2023, commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute. Post Theatre Collective has chosen Norway-based Nelly Winterhalder and Finland-based Lois Armas to be the writers of this season of the podcast. The episodes will be sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen directed by David Kozma.

HOLY MONKEY
Written by Nelly Winterhalder and Lois Armas
Sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen
Directed by David Kozma
Produced by Post Theatre Collective Commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute 
Part of Together again festival in autumn 2023 ”The pandemics hit the world like a tsunami, with several giant waves. Now, as the catastrophic waves withdraw, we slowly detect the impact that the past years have had on our lives, relations, work, habits, attitudes and values. 
The writers Lois Armas and Nelly Winterhalder place fictional characters in this post pandemic landscape and explore the emotional impact from a both personal, local and global perspective. 
The writing process will start from a common fictional frame which then allows each writer to express their artistic voice.” -Nelly Winterhalder The Middle Eastern Bloc podcast, started in 2020, reflects on the global pandemic through the eyes of people belonging to cultural and linguistic minorities (who live outside their birth country). When the first wave of the global pandemic hitted the world in Spring 2020, people were asked to stay home and avoid unnecessary contact except with their close family members. We started to wonder how people residing outside their birth country experience the situation. How people living away from their family coped with the situation. This podcast produced by Post Theatre Collective was part of Together alone 2.0 program in 2022 and this season 3 will be launched at the Together again festival in Autumn 2023, commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute. Post Theatre Collective has chosen Norway-based Nelly Winterhalder and Finland-based Lois Armas to be the writers of this season of the podcast. The episodes will be sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen directed by David Kozma.

HOLY MONKEY
Written by Nelly Winterhalder and Lois Armas
Sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen
Directed by David Kozma
Produced by Post Theatre Collective Commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute 
Part of Together again festival in autumn 2023 ”The pandemics hit the world like a tsunami, with several giant waves. Now, as the catastrophic waves withdraw, we slowly detect the impact that the past years have had on our lives, relations, work, habits, attitudes and values. 
The writers Lois Armas and Nelly Winterhalder place fictional characters in this post pandemic landscape and explore the emotional impact from a both personal, local and global perspective. 
The writing process will start from a common fictional frame which then allows each writer to express their artistic voice.” -Nelly Winterhalder The Middle Eastern Bloc podcast, started in 2020, reflects on the global pandemic through the eyes of people belonging to cultural and linguistic minorities (who live outside their birth country). When the first wave of the global pandemic hitted the world in Spring 2020, people were asked to stay home and avoid unnecessary contact except with their close family members. We started to wonder how people residing outside their birth country experience the situation. How people living away from their family coped with the situation. This podcast produced by Post Theatre Collective was part of Together alone 2.0 program in 2022 and this season 3 will be launched at the Together again festival in Autumn 2023, commissioned by The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute. Post Theatre Collective has chosen Norway-based Nelly Winterhalder and Finland-based Lois Armas to be the writers of this season of the podcast. The episodes will be sound designed by Saku Kämäräinen directed by David Kozma.

Middle Eastern Bloc Season 2. Episode 10: Welcome to the Club by Jowan Safadi Translation: Youssef Chaabi Performer: Demian Stimson Sound design and music: Saku Kämäräinen Concept: David Kozma and Bita Razavi Special thanks to Umayya Abu-Hanna In Spring 2020, when the first wave of the global pandemic hit the world, we were wondering how people residing outside their country of birth experienced the situation. How people living away from their families coped with the difficulties. We asked ten writers to reflect on their experiences and published the stories in the form of a podcast. Now, towards the end of 2021, the situation has continued way longer than most of us could imagine. Different countries have dealt with the latter waves of pandemic with different strategies.The vaccination entered the scene but not all countries have access to it equally. Global economy and political relations came into play. All of these have created different experiences of the situation in different parts of the world. Some people deal with the disappointment of cancelled theatre performances and closed bars, some bury friends or family members on a regular basis. We decided to reflect on the situation again in another season of our podcast. We asked writers and playwrights from different corners of the world to reflect on their experiences and their surroundings with the hope to draw a wider image of the situation and put things into perspective. Jowan Safadi is a Haifa based musician, singer songwriter. Mostly known for sarcastic and political songs often considered provocative. He broke through to the Arab world with the release of his album Namrud, breaking social taboos . His lyrics can be controversial with his personal reflections on a wide range of issues that give his work a rare and revealing authenticity

Middle Eastern Bloc Season 2. Episode 9: Symptoms by Csaba Székely Performer: Kasperi Nordman Sound design and music: Saku Kämäräinen Concept: David Kozma and Bita Razavi In Spring 2020, when the first wave of the global pandemic hit the world, we were wondering how people residing outside their country of birth experienced the situation. How people living away from their families coped with the difficulties. We asked ten writers to reflect on their experiences and published the stories in the form of a podcast. Now, towards the end of 2021, the situation has continued way longer than most of us could imagine. Different countries have dealt with the latter waves of pandemic with different strategies.The vaccination entered the scene but not all countries have access to it equally. Global economy and political relations came into play. All of these have created different experiences of the situation in different parts of the world. Some people deal with the disappointment of cancelled theatre performances and closed bars, some bury friends or family members on a regular basis. We decided to reflect on the situation again in another season of our podcast. We asked writers and playwrights from different corners of the world to reflect on their experiences and their surroundings with the hope to draw a wider image of the situation and put things into perspective. Csaba Székely is a playwright born in 1981 in Târgu Mureș, Romania. His first play (“Do You Like Banana, Comrades?“) won the regional prize for Europe at the BBC’s International Radio Playwriting Competition in 2009. He has written a trilogy about country life in Transylvania – their titles are Bányavirág (Mineflowers), Bányavakság (Mineblindness) and Bányavíz (Minewater) -, examining issues such as unemployment, alcoholism, nationalism, corruption and high rates of suicide among Hungarian population in Transylvania. The trilogy has been published in a volume by the Hungarian publishing house Magvető under the title Bányavidék (Minelands). The three plays have been produced in Hungarian, Romanian and Slovakian theatres. His historical comedy called Vitéz Mihály (Michael the Brave), about the rise and fall of a medieval Romanian national hero, has been produced by Hungary’s Weöres Sándor Theatre. He has written two musicals: Hogyne, drágám! (Sure, honey!, produced by the National Theatre of Târgu Mureș, Romania) and Passio XXI, a contemporary take on Jesus’ last days, which was directed by Robert Alföldi at Budapest Sports Arena. His play containing four political satires, patru piesuțe politice despre dușmani (Four political plays about enmity) has been produced by the National Theatre of Târgu Mureș, Romania. He is one of the scriptwriters for the 3rd season of HBO Hungary’s show „Terápia“ (“In Treatment“).