What I Heard About Iraq is an adaptation of Eliot Weinberger’s controversial article, published in 2005. Hannah Eidinow directs Simon Levy’s adaptation for its European premier.
Its strength is that by analysing the war through the words of the politicians, Iraqis and military personnel involved, it connects to both the politics and the human scale of the conflict.
The actors do not take specific characters but instead take it in turns to say ‘what I heard about Iraq’. The cast is strong, a well-chosen mix of Americans, British and British-Iraqi. As the quotes move chronologically from 2001 onwards, a strong anti-war message emerges by showing the contradictions inherent in the assessment of threat from Iraq and justification for engagement.
The production avoids becoming static as it is punctuated with photos from the conflict and parts where all 5 voices speak in chorus. Meg Fraser adds emotion, often taking the voice of the families involved, while Gail Winar’s deadpan delivery sends a shiver down the spine. Comedian Tim Clark’s powerful performance adds gravitas, and Sean Mullin in combat gear is very effective when taking on the voice of the American military. Lewis Alsamari, recently seen in the film United 93, particularly adds to the show with his simultaneous translation of some quotes into Arabic.
While there were still some slight hesitations, this is likely to become one of the Fringe’s most talked about shows, and rightly so.
[Kathryn Mack]
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