Was it a true story?
My heart nearly broke When the lights went out On the boy who had journeyed for so long And now sat, folded into himself; Forehead, elbow, knee, Alone on the floor in the cold police station. Post-show discussion; A small hand rises wobbling from the throng Of kids on the floor of the yurt To ask the first question, What we’ve just seen an’ all, Was it real? Everything in the story had happened to someone, The artists had interviewed dozens of refugees who’d fled Syria And made it to Oslo And from their separate stories Had stitched together a journey for the show’s protagonist Abdullah And his friend. Abdullah is warm, quick, resourceful; He ushers us into the yurt and zips himself into a tent. He has all of us laughing and answering his questions straight away, Startled brown eyes and phone that is ‘smart’ His heart saving its grief in order to tug his body to freedom. Dolls, puppets, torches, lights, a plastic bag, A mime, a plea, chase and refusal, a map, A newspaper, help, death And a simple, chilling explanation of how a boy drowns at night surrounded by a silent village of figures. My heart broke and sung Among the warmth of people Gathered in a tent, inside a theatre Reading a map made of music And fear and the human need to be free. Tenderly this show told us We were equal and needed. Myself, eight teachers and countless school kids sat enthralled for 55 minutes in a yurt. If you can see it don’t miss it This show throws necessary light on Where we have been standing in relation to each other. Emma for DRAFF We come from far far away by New International Encounter runs at the Ark as part of Dublin Theatre Festival until October 15th.
Image: Premysl Bukovsky Posted: 13 October 2017 |