The Tricycle theatre’s Laurence Olivier Award-nominated festival exploring Afghan culture and history, The Great Game: Afghanistan, is to return to the Kilburn venue from 23 July to 29 August (press day 31 July) prior to a US tour.
The festival, which is centred around 12 plays by writers including Ron Hutchinson, David Greig, Richard Bean and Simon Stephens, first played at the Tricycle theatre in April last year and was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre at last week’s Laurence Olivier Awards.
Speaking about the return of the season, Tricycle Artistic Director Nicolas Kent said: “The original intention in mounting The Great Game was to inform audiences of the history of Western involvement in Afghanistan since the early 19th century until the present day. The recent Obama Afpak policy review, the continuing ISAF operations in Helmand and in Afghanistan generally, and the mounting military and civilian casualty figures emphasise the importance of this. We very much hope that this trilogy and the theatre can play its part in continuing to stimulate the public’s discussion and debate on what is currently the most important focus of UK and American foreign policy.”
Split into three parts which run in repertoire, the 12 plays in the festival cover the history of Afghanistan from 1842 to the present day. This return visit sees the addition to the programme of a new play by Lee Blessing, Wood For The Fire, which replaces JT Rogers’s Blood And Gifts.
The plays are accompanied by a film festival, an exhibition and a programme of discussions.
The season is directed by Kent and Indhu Rubasingham, who is currently preparing another ambitious season at the Tricycle, Women, Power And Politics, a festival of plays which runs directly after this spring’s general election.
The Great Game: Afghanistan will tour to the US from 5 September to 19 December, taking in Washington, Minneapolis, Los Angeles and New York.
CB