The Great Game: Afghanistan - Part 1 - 1842-1930 Invasion and Independence - Bugles at the Gates of Jalalabad/Durand's Line/Campaign/Now is the Time

Latest User Review

Gareth James - 25 May 2009:

Even theatres with mega-budgets like the NT and Royal Court wouldn't have the ambition and bravery to commission 12 short plays telling the history of Afghanisan from 1842 to 2009! What would we do without Nicholas Kent and the wonderful Tricycle Theatre. Even by their exceptional standards, this is an extraordinary achievement. Of course, there are bound to be highs and lows over 6 hours (I found it hard to engage with Part I) but taken as a whole it's highly informative whilst remaining hugely entertaining. The talented cast of 15 appear in up to 7 plays each (plus six linking monologues, duologues and verbatim pieces) and the design effectively takes you from poppy fields to suburban living rooms. If I had any doubt that this wasn't relevant and topical theatre, it would have been blown away as I turned on the news in the car on the way home to hear of another British soldier killed in Afghanistan and further Taliban activities on the Pakistan border. This is ground-breaking theatre and I feel priviledged to live in a country where it can be mounted. ...

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