A review on Foreign Drama theatre play, Oh My Sweet Land (2019). This play was performed at NAPA International Theatre Festival 2019.
+ Crew
- Written & Directed by Amir Nizar Zuabi and Corinne Jaber
- Produced by Theatre de Vidy Lausanne and the Young Vic London
+ Note
Oh, My Sweet Land is a solo performance, Syria-Germany based play in the shape of storytelling. Lebanon, Jordan, Syria… all is left is refugee camps. Their distant memory of beautiful home is lost forever. Even though this is originally a French language play, which was later decided to perform in English language instead for our audience convenience.
NAPA thanks Goethe Institut for their continued support as well as the other consulates and embassies for helping them in making this festival possible.
+ Full Cast
- Corinne Jaber as Woman
+ Plot
A woman is cooking Kebbe, a classical Syrian dish obsessively in her kitchen and trying to come to terms with what she saw during her trip to Jordan, Lebanon and Syria looking for her lost lover.
+ High Points
i – A great direction by the duo; conducting a solo performance play is always challenging, especially if it is based on storytelling.
ii – This play comes to a powerful end. A reminder to those who think that the worst outcome of any war is death but is clearly not!
iii – Splendid performance given by Corinne Jaber as Woman. Loved how she continues to actual cook Kebbe while facing the audience with her story.
iv – The production design including its props used were commendable.
v – Effective use of the lighting, manages to keep a strong focus on the subject matter.
+ Low Points
i – If you can watch a storytelling play with long monologues with a solo performance, then this play is for you.
ii – In mid phases, I couldn’t help myself but to fall asleep listening to great detail story with no action.
iii – I believe that this play should reduce 10 – 15 minutes of its time length.
iv – Playing music even for precise moments only was difficult to hear.
+ Overall
Oh, My Sweet Land is an emotionally storytelling drama, gradually it unfolds the war-ridden tragedy and its consequences.
Rate: 2.50 out of 5 stars
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