2010/11 season > The Great Game: Afghanistan

directed by nicolas kent and indhu rubasingham
limited season | roda theatre
october 22–november 7, 2010  
west coast premiere

the plays

Whether you know it or not, you’re part of The Great Game. A sweeping cycle of short scripts by 12 top playwrights, this unprecedented show explores Afghanistan over the last 150 years. Direct from London, where it debuted to rave reviews, The Great Game makes its West Coast premiere at Berkeley Rep. It’s a captivating collection of stories performed by Britain’s finest actors. Presented in three parts—on different days or in one impassioned marathon—The Great Game explores the eternal struggle to control Central Asia. World powers and warlords, diplomats and activists, opium farmers and ordinary people…all of them tangle with the tribes and traditions of Afghanistan. It’s an emotional event that illuminates the complex culture of another land.

See one part or see them all. See them in any order—or as part of an impressive marathon. Get into The Game!

Part One: Invasions & Independence (1842–1929)

• The saga begins with Bugles at the Gate of Jalalabad by Stephen Jeffreys. After a devastating defeat, four British soldiers struggle with passionate questions about their purpose in a distant land: Are they following God’s will? Spreading civilization? Or just following orders? Then, in Durand’s Line by Ron Hutchinson, a British diplomat and the amir of Afghanistan engage in a stunning duel of wits. Can the simple act of drawing lines on a map impose order on a “lawless” culture? Or is it folly to forge a nation from competing tribes? Finally, Campaign by Amit Gupta and Now is the Time by Joy Wilkinson examine the legacy of Afghanistan’s first president. Can one man with a glorious vision throw off British rule and create a secular democracy? Or will warlords enforce a new agenda? Questions that haunted history in 1842 continue to resonate in ways we can’t help but hear today.

Part Two: Communism, the Mujahideen and the Taliban (1980–1996)

• A pair of provocative plays, David Edgar’s Black Tulips and Lee Blessing’s Wood for the Fire, burn up the stage when Soviet troops enter Afghanistan. Are the Russians invited guests or invaders? Who is the actual enemy, and where do they get their weapons? As victory proves elusive, the mission—and the meaning of success—must be redefined. Then, in Miniskirts of Kabul by David Greig, a journalist interviews the country’s deposed Communist leader. Their hilarious and horrific conversation covers everything from hemlines to the Kremlin as the Taliban lay siege to the capital. Finally, in The Lion of Kabul by Colin Teevan, two men hired by the United Nations disappear—and only a midnight meeting can reveal their fate. Two decades of turmoil ignite your curiosity and compassion in this thrilling series of shows.

Part Three: Enduring Freedom (1996–2009)

• America blithely rides an economic boom in Ben Ockrent’s Honey as an anxious CIA operative tries to buy back missiles that landed in the hands of militants. Next, in The Night is Darkest before the Dawn by Abi Morgan, a teacher invites girls to a free school—but fearful families of poppy farmers recall all too well the harsh justice of the Taliban. In On the Side of Angels by Richard Bean, employees of a British nonprofit struggle to retain their integrity while raising funds at home and brokering deals abroad. Then Simon Stephens’ Canopy of Stars captures a soldier in two intense encounters: one with a buddy before battle and the other when he returns to his wife. Has anything changed? What have we learned? The Great Game goes on in Afghanistan, yet the conclusions are up to you.

the players

A dozen prominent playwrights from Britain and America contributed to this epic: Richard Bean, Lee Blessing, David Edgar, David Greig, Amit Gupta, Ron Hutchinson, Stephen Jeffreys, Abi Morgan, Ben Ockrent, Simon Stephens, Colin Teevan, Naomi Wallace and Joy Wilkinson.

Nicolas Kent, artistic director of the Tricycle Theatre, has earned highest honors from the British press: the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement and the Evening Standard Award for Pioneering Political Theatre.

Indhu Rubasingham has directed on Britain’s most respected stages, including the Gate Theatre, the National Theatre, the Royal Court and the Young Vic.

the buzz

“Mind-blowing…Something remarkable is happening at the Tricycle, where Afghan history and culture are being made manifest in a uniquely challenging, theatrically exciting way.”—London Guardian

“Astonishing…No former undertaking has boasted anything like the scope or ambition of The Great Game.”—London’s Evening Standard

“Fascinating…Leaves you hankering for more. After seven and a half hours, that’s some accolade.”—Time Out London

“Witty and wise…Its scope is unparalleled…We get a vivid sense of the history, traditions and terrain that make Afghanistan such a booby trap for good and bad intentions alike.”—London Times

“Brilliant…It’s a wonderful theatrical presentation.”—London Independent

 

multimedia

VIDEO: Theatre of War
General Sir David Richards, head of Britain’s Armed Forces, takes a class of officer cadets to see The Great Game before they head into service in Afghanistan.

 

press photos

 

season sponsors