Amal and Gordon meet on the opulent streets and shadowy alleys of Taksim, the commercial heart of Istanbul where every conceivable transaction takes place. Read more …
She is a Syrian refugee, he a privileged westerner from northern Europe. What follows is a dream-like dance, an impossible meeting where these two acknowledge and ignore the barriers between them. The anonymity of the metropolis and their own transience allows them to reinvent themselves, though in reality, they can’t escape who they are or what they represent. Individual stories, images and impressions gathered by Zajac through visits to Istanbul and interviews with Syrian women rebuilding their lives in the city give voice to the characters, particularly to the voice of women, in relation to gender politics and resistance to war and exploitation. The Sky is Safe is a love story, a war story and a microcosm of our time.
Whilst this isn’t testimonial theatre as such, these stories add up to a compelling depiction of stories rarely told: those of displaced women trying to triumph over their circumstances.
The highlighting of the harrowing lives of these women immigrants fleeing conflict is important, worthy and sincerely told if somewhat didactic, with statistics delivered like machine gun fire. The Sky is Safe is flawlessly performed by the two actors.
Falls into two distinct parts, the one powerful and engaging, the other less so.
Despite good intentions and committed performances from Hajaj and Zajac, this play never quite succeeds in marrying drama with documentary.
On Tour, from Saturday August 5, 2017, until Saturday September 23, 2017. http://www.dogstartheatre.co.uk/upcoming-shows.html.
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