Imagine living in constant fear, rehearsing your escape plan like it’s a daily routine. That’s the heart of A Knock on the Roof, a powerful solo play that brings the realities of life in Gaza to the stage.

The story centers on Mariam, a woman juggling the chaos of raising her 6-year-old son, Nour, while preparing for the unthinkable. “Two wars ago,” she explains, “they started using a technique called ‘a knock on the roof.’ It’s a small bomb they drop to give us five to 15 minutes to evacuate before the real one destroys everything.”

Mariam’s days are spent practicing how far she can run in five minutes, weighed down by a backpack full of essentials and her sleeping child. Her mother, who moves in when the war begins, joins the drills. It’s a haunting routine that feels both necessary and surreal.

Played by Khawla Ibraheem, who also wrote the script, Mariam’s story is both intimate and universal. Directed by Oliver Butler at New York Theater Workshop, the play captures the tension and resilience of everyday people under extraordinary circumstances.

What makes A Knock on the Roof so striking is how it blurs the line between reality and nightmare. There’s a moment when you can’t tell if Mariam is awake or dreaming, a reminder of how war distorts even the simplest parts of life.

Originally written as a 10-minute monologue in 2014, the play’s development coincided with the lead-up to the recent Israel-Hamas conflict, making its themes feel all the more urgent.

As the production heads to London in February, it’s a timely reminder of the human stories often lost in the noise of war. Mariam’s rehearsals are more than just preparation—they’re a testament to the endurance of hope in the face of fear.