Safe Haven at Arcola Theatre Review

In it, we are reminded of the exceedingly limited geopolitical exit strategies that the British and American militaries deployed at the end of the first Gulf War, particularly in relation to the Iraq-Kurdistan situation. Having intimated to the Kurds that operations would not be considered complete without regime change in Baghdad, the war was concluded with Saddam still in power and with sufficient military hardware to exact vengeance on any groups who had traditionally voiced opposition to him.

Having already gassed entire towns, it is not long before he begins using his helicopter gunships to terrorise Kurd populations in the north of the country, whose only escape is to flee into the mountains, where lack of food and warmth will also serve as effective killers.

Two British Embassy admin flunkies Catherine (Beth Burrows) and Clive (Richard Lynson) manage to talk each other into breaking the usual civil service code of conduct (don’t rock the boat or ruffle any feathers, keep your head down and accept your promotion in two years, there’s a good chap) and begin passing compelling news of the impending massacre via official and less official Whitehall channels. Their aim is to bend the ear of newly installed PM John Major and delay the imminent departure of the American military by twisting the arm of General Brett (Stephen Cavanagh).

British-American director Michael Giesser has assembled a troupe of six actors who deliver the tale through an amalgamation of vignettes, including press conferences, office meetings, and the desperate on foot journey across the mountains by a young pregnant woman, Najat (Eugenie Bouda). The narrative threads are then neatly and compellingly stitched together with supplemental characters Anne/Zeyra (Lisa Zahra) and Dlawer/Al-Tikriti (Mazlum Gül) who add much needed moments of oomph.

There is an unfortunate tendency by one of the lead players to self-conscious flounce and over acting which is unnecessary in a small playing area given its close proximity to the audience. Such rookie behaviour is not helped by the split set of office and another multi-use space which has been created with a loose granular flooring which inadvertently ends up distributed throughout the playing area as the actors move gingerly across it. The distraction adds nothing of value and is simply a poor design choice which should have been changed during the rehearsal period. Such minor gripes aside, the production has considerable merit, even allowing for recent much publicised ovations to reduce the number of political plays occupying space in our theatres.

Whilst it isn’t perfect, Safe Haven proves that not everything has to be fluff to prove entertaining, and not everything informative has to be didactic and force-fed. The play continues at Arcola until 7th February.