Sonia is a 38-year-old British Palestinian actor who lives in London and works in West End theater. Seeking distance from a recent breakup with a director, she travels to Haifa to spend the summer with her sister. She initially distances herself from the political realities of the region and her Palestinian heritage. Her reluctant involvement in a local theater production challenges this detachment, forcing her to rely less on her ability to hide within theatrical roles and more on her actual identity.

Haneen is Sonia’s older sister and a sociology professor at an Israeli university in Haifa. Deeply affected by a childhood visit to the West Bank, she dedicated her life to the Palestinian cause, contrasting sharply with Sonia's early detachment. She struggles with the exhaustion of ongoing political conflict and questions her position as one of the few Arab faculty members at her academic institution.

Mariam is a determined Palestinian actor and director who holds Israeli citizenship. She ambitiously spearheads a controversial production of *Hamlet* in the West Bank, aiming to create art that bridges geographical and political divides. As a single mother managing complex logistical and military hurdles, she faces skepticism from those who view her utopian artistic goals as naive.

Ibrahim is a 36-year-old divorced actor cast in multiple roles in Mariam's production. He shares a background in European experimental theater with Sonia, but unlike her, he participated actively in the resistance movement during his youth. He is observant and direct about his feelings, though he must constantly adjust to the tense dynamics within the cast.

Wael is a popular Palestinian pop singer whom Mariam casts as the lead in *Hamlet*. Although he lacks classical theater training, his fame is essential for drawing an audience to the play. He struggles with the formal Arabic dialogue and the heavy expectations placed upon him, which causes friction with the more experienced actors in the troupe.

Salim is Mariam's brother and a prominent Palestinian politician who serves in the Israeli Knesset. He works behind the scenes to secure financial backing from Qatar and Jordan for his sister's cultural organization. This political strategy threatens his career and draws intense scrutiny from Israeli security forces.

Nabil is Sonia and Haneen's father, currently residing in London. During his youth in Beirut, he was heavily involved in the Palestinian resistance until the violent death of a close friend traumatized him, causing him to abandon activism and move to Europe. He views the dream of a Palestinian state as completely lost.

Uncle Jad is a doctor living on the outskirts of Ramallah. He became politically active in his fifties, an ideological shift that created tension between him and his brother Nabil. He acts as a grounding presence in the West Bank for his nieces, holding onto family history and maintaining a warm household.

Harold is a theater director in London who engaged in a brief affair with Sonia during a production of *The Seagull*. His emotional distance and subsequent professional rejections act as the catalyst for Sonia's sudden departure to Haifa. He continues to send her emails regarding future casting opportunities.

Marco is a wealthy Italian-British film and theater reviewer who was previously married to Sonia. Their marriage fractured following a devastating pregnancy loss, creating a profound silence between them that neither could bridge. He subsequently wrote a novel exploring themes of infertility.

Aidan is a student actor whom Sonia dated briefly during her university years. When Sonia experienced an unplanned pregnancy and secured an abortion, she completely withdrew from him. He is left hurt and confused by her sudden emotional distance.

Jenan is a young actor from Nablus recruited mid-production to play the role of Ophelia. Her arrival relieves Sonia of the burden of playing a double role. She is highly curious about her castmates' family backgrounds and quickly assimilates into the chaotic rehearsal environment.

Majed is a Palestinian actor cast as the Ghost in *Hamlet*. Like the rest of the troupe, he frequently endures severe delays and interrogations at military checkpoints simply to attend rehearsals, bringing the physical realities of the occupation into the theater space.

Amin is a cast member who grew up as an orphan in a West Bank refugee camp. The grueling reality of his daily commute and his difficult background occasionally cause him to arrive at rehearsals in a sour mood, leading to physical clashes with the more privileged members of the cast.

Faris is a working actor who runs a community theater in Bethlehem. He holds a deep appreciation for the subtle, low-budget Palestinian political theater of the 1970s and 1980s, serving as a historical touchstone for the cast as they debate the political utility of their current play.

George is an actor in the troupe who favors direct, literal interpretations of political theater. He is openly skeptical of Sonia, viewing her London background and outsider status with deep suspicion when the production runs into trouble.

Anwar is Mariam and Salim's brother, working as the set designer for *Hamlet*. He builds a massive, dramatic stage near the separation wall in Bethlehem to support his sister's ambitious artistic vision.

Teta is Sonia and Haneen's grandmother. During the 1948 establishment of Israel, she witnessed the violent displacement of her neighbors from her balcony but managed to keep her home by refusing to flee. Her recorded voice serves as a political anchor for the family's history.

Dawud is a young man who works as a staff member at the theater in Ramallah, facilitating access for Mariam's troupe. He is also a student at the Israeli university in Haifa where Haneen teaches sociology, moving quietly through multiple institutional spaces.

Emil is Mariam and Hazem's young son. He lives with his mother, who works tirelessly to build a better future for him despite her demanding artistic schedule. He is occasionally cared for by members of the theater community.

Aunt Rima is Uncle Jad's wife, living with him outside Ramallah. She shares a warm, visibly affectionate bond with her husband, which prompts Sonia to reflect on the coldness of her own past marriage.

Rashid is a young Palestinian man remembered by Sonia from a childhood visit to the West Bank. His severe physical decline following a hunger strike in military detention left a permanent mark on the Nasir sisters, terrifying Sonia while permanently politicizing Haneen.

Hazem is Mariam's ex-husband and Emil's father, originally from Hebron. Having lost family in the regional conflict, he lacks the utopian artistic dreams that drive Mariam, which ultimately led to the dissolution of their marriage.

Maher was a resistance fighter and Nabil's close friend during their university years in Beirut. His violent death at the hands of a sniper profoundly traumatized Nabil, altering the course of Nabil's life and his engagement with the Palestinian cause.

Piya is a woman who accompanies Sonia's ex-husband, Marco, to a stage production of *Wide Sargasso Sea* following his divorce.