Stuff Happens

Synopsis

In a letter to President Clinton on January 26th, 1998 the neo-conservative group Project for a New American Century urged the adoption of a new strategy "that would secure the interests of the US and our friends and allies around the world." The 40 signatories, who included Dick Cheney and Ronald Rumsfeld, wrote "That strategy should aim, above all, at the removal of Saddam Hussein's regime from power...That needs to become the aim of American foreign policy." On March 20th 2003 a coalition led by the United States and Great Britain began military operations to depose Saddam Hussein.

Our Review:

13 September 2004

The National Theatre re-asserts its place not just at the heart of our theatrical life but also at the heart of our national (and international) political life, making headlines of its own with a play plucked from events that have dominated the international headlines for the past two years.

Premiered on the eve of the third anniversary of September 11th, which set this train of events in motion, David Hare’s Stuff Happens takes its title from American Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld’s response to the looting of Baghdad after it had been invaded: “Stuff happens…. And it’s untidy, and freedom’s untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.”

Does that include our politicians? The beliefs that Iraq harboured weapons of mass destruction, that have in fact never been found, and that there was a link between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida, that has never been proved, led to a war that untidily killed untold (and ...

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Latest User Review

69.166.221.218) - 8 June 2005:

Saw the play at the Taper last night. Wow!! A tidy compendium of evasive plotting that the Bushie Nazis won't be able to refute. David Hare just by showing the deceitful tactics that led to supporting the End by any Means has convicted the Bush administration and its itinerant lackies. Stong stuff.....the Bushies won't be able to handle it.....if it ever moves to other cities....

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