What I liked
The intimacy of the theatre,audience proximity to the stage and the fact that it was a one man performance. In my opinion, this combination enhances the audience’s investment in the performance and topic. Ultimately,Henry Naylor pulled off a very difficult feat. His performance elicited laughter, sadness and anger. A wide range of emotions for a one hour performance.
What I didn't like
A bit too much time was spent on the movie business portion of the story. Important point to make in order to highlight the absurdity of it all, but could have been shortened.I’m not sure if the final image of the Afghan child was necessary. Effective satire needs to rely on the written word and performance. Overall, Naylor delivered. If society has not been moved by countless images over the 20 year tragedy of Afghanistan, not sure if this image moves the pendulum. Satire needs to counter society’s indifference in ways which traditional depictions such as the news and media fail miserably.
My overall impression
I enjoyed the show. It was well worth my time. I’m quite familiar with the tragedy of Afghanistan and the topic is one that is very important to me. Loved the venue as I found it to be intimate and effective for this type of performance, a one man show depicting the absurdity, gross tragedy and horror of the invasion of Afghanistan.
