The difference between current affairs and history is hindsight and JT Rogers' play clearly highlights the irony of American weapons falling into the hands of those who are now sworn enemies of the West. However, back in 1981 hardly anyone had heard of the Taliban and the Soviet Union was the perceived enemy. Their crushing defeat in Afghanistan played a major part in the ending of the Cold War and the dismantling of the Iron Curtain. Actually Blood and Gifts is surprisingly sympathetic to the American viewpoint at that time personnified through an idealistic CIA operative, superbly played by Lloyd Owen. Adam James is also excellent as the British spook straight out of a Graham Greene novel but, at the risk of sounding like the ridiculous Tim Walker, the repeated tirade against Margaret Thatcher is gratuitous and unnecessary. Howard Davies directs a production which gripped throughout although there was no feeling of the sensory overload of the region. The play also ends with a scene that genuinely chills the blood. - David Baxter
03 Nov 10
This play about Afghanistan during the 80¡äs started as one of the Tricycle¡¯s Great Game playlets a couple of years ago; it has now become a very interesting and satisfying full length play. It was the decade when the then USSR occupied this troubled land whilst the US, with British help, sought to undermine them by funding and arming Pakistani security forces and Afghan militias. It followed periods of western influence and was followed by the rise of the Taliban and subsequent US / British invasion and occupation. The geopolitical history is absolutely fascinating and playwright J T Rogers achievement is to make this so entertaining! It unfolds like a thriller and is packed with irony and humour, without ever debasing the seriousness of the events it presents. It also weaves in the stories of the home lives, and in particular the sons, of the three main players which adds an important personal dimension. Designer Ultz use of sliding screens enables Howard Davies production to have real pace, moving quickly between the many short scenes without losing impetus. The central character of CIA agent James Warnock is excellently played by Lloyd Owen, who is onstage throughout, torn between his country¡¯s pragmatism and his personal idealism. His British counterpart has been around longer and is therefore more realistic and cynical; also well played by Adam James. These performances are well matched by the other two key characters ¨C Russian Dmitri (Matthew Marsh) and Afghan Abdullah (Demosthenes Chrysan) and there are fine supporting performances from Gerald Kyd as the representative of Pakistani security and Philip Arditti as Abdullah¡¯s son (whose obsession with Western music and quoting of their lyrics is hysterical) and excellent cameos from Simon Kunz as James¡¯ boss and Danny Ashok as the Pakistani military clerk. I liked this play a lot; it explains so much about how we got to where we are in Afghanistan and the hopelessness of it all ¨C but above all it¡¯s a deeply satisfying evening modern drama. - Gareth James
02 Nov 10
Hurrah! A play in the National that actually is intelligent about politics. You can see the message coming a mile off but this is still excellent stuff. - addicted to theatre
12 Oct 10
The best new play from the NT for a very long time. It cleverly places the personal concerns of the main protagonists against their political/religious allegiances, thereby making a ghastly situation more poignantly human. It also points up the impossibility of a true understanding between representatives of radically different cultures, however bound they may be by a common enemy or by common family issues. Shot through with humour, which is at times starkly crude but never offensive, the play manages to make a highly complex situation comprehensible within a short time. The acting is universally excellent, with Lloyd Owen as the CIA agent and Adam James as his British counterpart outstanding. Demosthenes Chrysan as the Afghan leader is magnificent, but, from where I was sitting, his words occasionally got lost. The direction is well-nigh perfect. Go and see it. - sc
07 Oct 10
Very long and a little weak on the dramatic structure but a brilliant production and an award winning performance from Lloyd Owen who's never off the stage for nearly three hours. - coral
01 Oct 10
this is a brilliant play about the a war I only vaguely remember from the news. Brilliant actors like Lloyd Owen, Adam James, Matthew Marsh (not playing an American for a change) and a charismatic Demosthenes Chrysan as Afghan leader bring the unwinnable policital conflict beautifully to life. The conflict is enriched by their sacrifices in their private lives which made all parties equally in the end to loosers. A must see and today as relevant as in the 80ies. - Elisabeth
