Documentary dramas are a challenging genre and this valiant effort from Chris Bowers cannot be considered a full success. Let’s start with what works. Bowers provides a history of the invasion of Kuwait, Saddam Hussein’s persecution of the Kurdish people and the international intervention to aid them. As well as being an important subject, the events are described in detail and from several perspectives. All good.
The credentials behind the show are impressive. Bowers is a former diplomat and Consul General in Iraqi Kurdistan. And he used the memoir of one of his characters alongside his considerable knowledge. It is a lot to condense and, to the script’s credit, a sense of individual voices is preserved. The action is clear – a big achievement – aided by the capable direction of Mark Giesser, who makes the most of designer Jida Akil’s split stage.
It is when we get to the drama that we encounter problems. There’s so much exposition that the dialogue is clunky and characterisation suffers. The frightfully posh chap from the British Foreign Office, beautifully spoken by Richard Lynson, ends up looking stupid. And that can’t be fair. Surely he would appreciate the problems of dispatching aid by air (I’m not sure even the audience needs it explained)? It’s the same for the American General (again, great accent work from Stephen Cavanagh) who you can almost hear thinking. The play’s heroine, Catherine, suffers too and that’s a real shame for Beth Burrows, who has a great go at expressing how awful events were. Trouble is that the disappointment with everyone around her comes across like reading a poor prep school report. When she gets to lay down the law, she does so like an Eton Dame. Maybe that’s accurate and a good way to deal with these fellows, but it doesn’t work on stage. And when it comes to a scene explaining the play’s title it’s just too much like the characters are doing a crossword.
Thankfully, the Kurds in the piece are more engaging. They have a more emotive story, of course, but it is handled sensitively and without sensationalism. Eugenie Bouda and Lisa Zahra make an inspiring pair as they cross the mountains searching for safety. Similarly, a second heroic figure, Dlawer, who campaigned for his people while a doctor in London and then searched for his sister back in Iraq, is thoroughly admirable. The performance from Mazlum Gül (who also impresses with a second role as UN Ambassador Al-Tikriti) is a highlight. There’s a strong blend of reserve, determination and passion in the character that reflects the piece’s strengths. Safe Haven is admirably even-handed and well-intentioned, but it doesn’t quite work as drama.
Until 7 February 2026
Photo by Ikin Yum