THEATRE 
REVIEWS
How Many Miles to Basra?
West Yorkshire Playhouse
Leeds
ENGLAND
Mesopotamian Mistakes
Most things these days are about who is right and who is telling the truth. This play is no different, for it takes related incidents and marries them together in Iraq. We have the reporters there with different motives and the troops under orders to do as they are told. With briefs like these things are bound to go wrong and they do. Then it adds up to morals and ethics. Nobody wins, they never can, for all is a compromise.
A women reporter Ursula (Flora Montgomery) comes in contact with four Para's, who, for want of a better expression, lose their way. They come in contact with an Arab, Malek (Kevork Malikyan) who, for a fee, agrees to help the Para's, led by Stewart (Matthew Flynn) put wrong right. The Para's are, as always in army situations, a mixed bunch and conflicts soon arise. There is always the unclear minded one, the inexperienced youngster who is not quite sure what is happening and those in between.
Predicament
A question arises, should reporters be assigned to troops in the field of battle? Watch the play, and with your own experiences of the issues involved you will have to make your mind up. Writer Colin Teevan gives you clues as he sees it and director Ian Brown shapes the action, making it as realistic as you can in a stage situation, designed by Jeremy Daker. Sound is supplied by designer Mic Pool and good lighting effects are visualised by Guy Hoare.
In all the play is about mistakes acted on and decisions taken. The audience gave it their quiet and respectful attention as they thought about the issues put before them. It is up to you to have a look at this play and ask, does it do anything to resolve the fighting in Iraq and help put the ordinary citizens back to normality? © BA
“How Many Miles to Basra?” is in Leeds on the 23rd September until the 21st October, 2006 then continues on tour. Council car parking charge £1 from 5.30pm until 10pm. This is now a No Smoking theatre.
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