Bird & the Whale ( الھجرة ) is a new-age operetta centered thematically on the ultimate idea of home and the continuous journeys to and from what we perceive as our physical and spiritual home. The vast natural concepts of immigration and emigration, war and peace, individual enlightenment and liberation, and symbiosis with the other, are all key elements portrayed and dissected within the story and the show.

The show is written and created and performed by Anou (Anwar Bizri), an emerging Lebanese composer/producer/musical artist and, while the show is centered on Anou’s music and lyrics (in both English & Arabic language), there are several artistic disciplines and media forms and collaborators involved in the production, including contemporary dance, acting, projection mapping, visual art, theatrical costume and stage design, and more.

The project is created to be played in different heritage sites over time in collaboration with Sharqy Foundation. Additionally, the story of the show is written in a way where the bulk of it is fixed, but there is a margin left in the story that is to be tailored and developed around each specific heritage site within the main storytelling elements. The point of this is to include the location’s historical relevance and bring it to life as a character of the show.

The show then had its first free mini-preview (a small free glimpse of the show) on July 16 of 2026 as part of the national “Museum Night” at “Beit Beirut”, a heritage site in Beirut, Lebanon. The first version of the show is set to debut on October 24, 2026 at Hammam Al Jadeed, Saida, and then 3 nights at a Beirut Heritage site in November of 2026 (to be disclosed). The biggest and full version of the show, the full immersive experience at Hammam Al Jadeed and possibly other interlinked heritage sites in Saida (the sea castle and land castle) is set to begin in March of 2027, where the heritage site will be brought to life using all the elements of the show and story.