A historical drama about the 1991 Kurdish uprising in Iraq is a story of politics and power struggles that often overshadows the human cost. The play "Safe Haven" attempts to bring authenticity to its portrayal of diplomats navigating the complexities of international relations, but ultimately falls short of delivering a compelling narrative.
The focus of the show lies with the diplomats themselves, particularly Clive (Richard Lynson) and Catherine (Beth Burrows), who engage in discussions about politics and strategy. However, these conversations rarely translate into dramatic tension or sparks, instead relying on planning and manoeuvring to drive the plot forward.
Under Mark Giesser's direction, scenes are brief and functional, delivering exposition rather than human drama. This lack of depth means that even major moments, such as Operation Safe Haven, feel rushed and underwhelming.
The characters themselves are paper-thin, with performances ranging from dull to stilted. The exception is Clive's wife, Anne (Lisa Zahra), who brings a sense of urgency to her role when advocating for the Kurds' plight.
What's missing from "Safe Haven" is a deeper exploration of the Kurdish experience during this time period. The play touches on the terror faced by the population and their struggles in the mountains, but these scenes feel snatched and don't provide enough context or emotional resonance.
The 1991 uprising is an overlooked chapter in Iraq's history, overshadowed by more prominent events like the invasion of Kuwait and the US-led invasion of Iraq. "Safe Haven" deserves to shine a light on this lesser-known story, providing more drama, emotion, and political complexity to bring it to life.
As it stands, "Safe Haven" is a missed opportunity to tell a compelling story about politics and power struggles. While it may provide some insight into the diplomatic world of international relations, it ultimately fails to deliver an engaging narrative that resonates with audiences.
The focus of the show lies with the diplomats themselves, particularly Clive (Richard Lynson) and Catherine (Beth Burrows), who engage in discussions about politics and strategy. However, these conversations rarely translate into dramatic tension or sparks, instead relying on planning and manoeuvring to drive the plot forward.
Under Mark Giesser's direction, scenes are brief and functional, delivering exposition rather than human drama. This lack of depth means that even major moments, such as Operation Safe Haven, feel rushed and underwhelming.
The characters themselves are paper-thin, with performances ranging from dull to stilted. The exception is Clive's wife, Anne (Lisa Zahra), who brings a sense of urgency to her role when advocating for the Kurds' plight.
What's missing from "Safe Haven" is a deeper exploration of the Kurdish experience during this time period. The play touches on the terror faced by the population and their struggles in the mountains, but these scenes feel snatched and don't provide enough context or emotional resonance.
The 1991 uprising is an overlooked chapter in Iraq's history, overshadowed by more prominent events like the invasion of Kuwait and the US-led invasion of Iraq. "Safe Haven" deserves to shine a light on this lesser-known story, providing more drama, emotion, and political complexity to bring it to life.
As it stands, "Safe Haven" is a missed opportunity to tell a compelling story about politics and power struggles. While it may provide some insight into the diplomatic world of international relations, it ultimately fails to deliver an engaging narrative that resonates with audiences.
, this play just doesn't cut it for me. I'm all about giving a show a chance, but "Safe Haven" feels like a total snooze fest 
. The characters are so one-dimensional and the plot is super predictable - it's like they took every '90s drama cliche and mashed them all together into a big ol' mess 
. And don't even get me started on how rushed everything feels, like they're trying to cram an entire history book into 2 hours 
. Can't we get something more nuanced and emotionally resonant out of this story? 
. It's like, yeah, the diplomats are trying to make deals and stuff, but where's the heart? 
You need more emotional connection with the characters, you know? 
. The play touches on it a bit, but it feels like they're just scratching the surface 
. You need to dig deeper and show the audience how the people are affected by these events 
.
. And yeah, Clive's wife Anne is a great example of this 
. She brings urgency to her role and makes the audience feel something 
.
they're so authentic! And Lisa Zahra as Clive's wife Anne is definitely a highlight - she brings this fire 
that really makes you care about what's happening. But overall, I think the play is just missing the emotional depth it needs to make the story shine through.
. Maybe with some more development on the characters and plot, "Safe Haven" could've been a real winner 
. Where's the heart? The emotional weight of what the Kurds went through during that time period is totally missing from the show 
. I mean, I get that you wanna focus on the diplomats, but can't you just find a way to make their conversations more compelling? Like, have them disagree or something! 
And don't even get me started on how rushed Operation Safe Haven felt... it was like they didn't even want to deal with the complexity of what was happening. It's a shame, 'cause I think this story deserves so much better 
.
. I mean, can't they do better than paper-thin characters? It's like they just phoned it in and expected us to care about Clive and Catherine's 3 a.m. diplomatic meetings. Newsflash: we're not invested in their spreadsheets for world domination 
️. Give me a break, can't you just give us some real emotional depth or something? It's 2025, not 1991! 
Mark Giesser's direction is also pretty underwhelming, it felt like they were just reading off a script 
, and the characters were so paper-thin, it was hard to care about what happened to them 
, but they fell short on execution.
. And don't even get me started on how rushed everything felt... it's like they were trying to fit 10 years of history into 2 hours 
, but instead, it just feels like a snatched snippet of history 
The characters are all about the diplomats and politics but where's the heart? Where's the humanity? It feels like they're just ticking boxes to get the story over with instead of really delving into the emotions and struggles of the people involved