The Band's Visit Literary Elements

Musical

English and Hebrew

Small town of Bet Hatikvah, Israel, by accident, as the band got on the wrong bus and intended to go to a larger town to perform a concert.

There is no narrator and the point of view is shared between all of the characters; each of the songs is sung from the point of view of the character singing it.

Uplifting and beautiful; melancholy

The protagonists are the band members; in some ways Haled is the antagonist because it was he who purchased tickets to the wrong town.

The main conflict is between Itzik and his wife, who argue regularly, and make up just as often.

The climax of the musical comes when the band arrive at the Arab Center in their correct destination, and Tewfiq raises his baton to begin conducting the performance.

The unintelligible nature of Haled's accent foreshadows the purchase of tickets to the wrong town because the ticket agent does not understand what he is saying.

Tewfiq says that he has experienced sadness and loss which is an understatement because his son and wife have both committed suicide, leaving him to deal with the guilt of feeling that it was all his fault.

Dina alludes to listening to Omar Sharif on Egyptian radio.

The imagery is all created in song, and inspires the audience to create visual images based on what they are singing.

Getting the tickets mixed up would seem to be a disaster but after spending the night getting to know the townspeople it would seem to have been more of a blessing.

There is a parallel between the way in which the baby is calmed by Simon's clarinet lullaby and the way in which it also calms Itzik's wife.

No specific examples

No specific examples per se, although each song has the same dramatic effect as a monologue or soliloquy, giving the audience a glimpse into the feelings of each of the characters as they sing their song.