Henry Naylor’s storytelling is powerful and eye opening, but this narrative is not about him.
This topical comedian turned playwright made his first Fringe splash some twenty years ago when he wrote a satirical takedown of the media in the east following 9/11. This show was an absolute hit, a combination of Henry’s fantastic writing and a set consisting of photos taken by the award-winning Sam Maynard from their visit to Kabul earned the two critical acclaim. Yet a failed movie and much therapy later has helped Henry realise that his success ultimately meant nothing compared to the suffering that still plagued the people of Afghanistan.
Sparked by the Taliban’s offensive in 2021, this revised drama of his trip to Kabul, is a more sombre and conscious approach to the horrors Naylor and Maynard experienced. Liaised by an inexperienced fixer, Naylor witnessed the tragedy up close and personal, and thanks to some harrowing photos, we are right alongside him. Warlords, destruction and chilling remnants illuminate the theatre as you are unable to look away, even for a second. N
Naylor himself has a narrative flow that keeps you on the edge of your seat holding your breath, praying for a sigh of relief. When it is appropriate, he alleviates your stress with some tremendous topical humour, as is his wheelhouse. But as a narrator you see the way in which his relationship with Afghanistan and the people he met have shaped him.
Really this show is about perspective. It’s a unique opportunity for a lot of us to get a glimpse at the real side of these conflicts that seem worlds away. But it’s the people of Kabul who are relentlessly resilient, courageous and proud of their beautiful city, that are rightfully in the spotlight. This show is not just an unbelievable spectacle that I would recommend, it’s something that is important to witness.
Afghanistan Is Not Funny by Henry Naylor
16:00 at Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14)
August 3 – 29
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on#q=%22Afghanistan%20Is%20Not%20Funny%20by%20Henry%20Naylor%22
