SAFE HAVEN

Arcola Theatre

★★½

“There are commendable performances across the cast”

They say those who ignore the past are condemned to repeat it; fortunately ‘Safe Haven’ revisits a recent chapter of history that still resonates today. Though the script doesn’t quite unlock the full force of the material, it’s an undeniably bold playwriting debut.

It’s the early 1990s and Saddam Hussein’s forces threaten the genocide of millions of Kurds. In London, two diplomats and a Kurdish refugee try desperately to convince the British government to intervene. Based on true events, it’s a stark reminder that extraordinary times demand extraordinary courage.

‘Safe Haven’ marks former British diplomat Chris Bowers’ playwriting debut, drawing on deep ties to Kurdistan and a sharp grasp of politics. He shows great wit and insight, using wry, throwaway lines to expose the uncanny irony of certain situations. Yet the script needs significant refinement to reach its full potential. Despite the huge built in stakes, the plot feels underdeveloped and oddly structured, dissipating tension rather than building it. For example, Act 1 wraps before introducing the crucial ‘safe haven’; the Act 1 climax lacks suspense; the will they survive cliffhanger is resolved rather unceremoniously. The characters, too, need fuller development. Though Bowers wisely distils the action into a few key lives – a tried and tested dramatic device – the central figures lack sufficient depth to carry the narrative. Catherine’s struggles – including her experiences of sexism – feel under explored, and the Kurdish siblings simply fade out. This is compounded by rather dense, technical language featuring long stretches of exposition and little ‘showing’ of the story. There are some strong ideas here but they need clearer articulation.

Mark Giesser’s direction offers some striking ideas. Catherine’s opening monologue, delivered straight to the audience, provides an immediate point of connection – though curiously this device isn’t revisited. The sharply divided set – half regimented office, half soil covered outdoors – is an intelligent visual metaphor for the play’s internal divisions. However, the use of space sometimes muddies rather than clarifies. During Najat and Zeyra’s perilous mountain ascent, for example, the actors move into the office area, desk and all, undercutting the scene’s realism. Entries and exits feature rather circuitous routes, when slipping behind the curtains could be a cleaner solution. The blocking, too, could use a little refinement; a few key beats are lost when actors turn their backs to the audience, obscuring crucial reactions.

Jida Akil’s design is one of the production’s real strengths. The split set – half office, half earth – is cleverly conceived, with soil evoking homeland and identity. The layered white curtains, suggesting snow capped mountains and doubling as an elegant projection surface, create striking visuals.

Libby Ward’s video design carries the production fluidly through time and place with cinematic flair. The interplay of images and text smartly echoes the relentless churn of news and bureaucracy, while the sparing use of colour gives some scenes a purposeful lift.
Ali Taie’s sound design is a real asset, its blend of music, ambient detail and sharp effects placing us right at the centre of the action.

Katherine Watt’s costume supervision draws sharp contrasts, setting vibrant Kurdish dress against the starch of Whitehall suits. Though a red scarf for Najat would better align with the text.

There are commendable performances across the cast, though the depth of characterisation varies somewhat, likely in part due to the script. Lisa Zahra offers the most fully realised performances, giving Zeyra a quiet resilience and Anne a warm forthrightness. Beth Burrows brings both determination and vulnerability to Catherine, navigating an impossible situation with clarity. Mazlum Gül makes Al Tikriti suitably sinister while Dlawer is impassioned if less subtly shaded. Stephen Cavanagh adds well judged comic relief as a prickly US General.

Bowers’ bold debut play ‘Safe Haven’ shines a light on a strikingly relevant chapter of history. Though beautifully designed, the script and delivery currently fall shy of fully revealing the human dimension.

SAFE HAVEN

Arcola Theatre

Reviewed on 19th January 2026

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Ikin Yum

SAFE HAVEN

★★★★

“doesn’t always capture the beauty of the novel, but it certainly wrings the emotion from the central themes and relationships”

Khaled Hosseini’s beautifully crafted debut novel, published in 1993, begins by telling the story of Amir, a young boy from the Kabul, and his close friend, Hassan. Hosseini successfully weaves an intimate saga of guilt and atonement into the framework of an epic backdrop. Although set against a backdrop of the tumultuous events – from the fall of Afghanistan’s monarchy through the Soviet invasion; the exodus of refugees and the rise of the Taliban – the reader is continually drawn into the minds of the main protagonists, and their personal battles and relationships. Presenting the grand scale of its setting with the small scale drama of the characters is always going to be a challenge. Matthew Spangler’s adaptation for the stage is faithful to the book and tells the story with startling clarity. It is inevitably condensed but Spangler manages to include all the key events without muddying the context.

We begin at the end. Afghani immigrant Amir is summoned from his California home to Pakistan by Rahim Khan, an old, dying friend of his father, who enigmatically tells Amir that “there is a way to be good again”. Rewind a quarter of a century and we meet Amir as a wealthy, privileged boy in Afghanistan, and his best friend, Hassan, the son of his father’s servant. When Hassan is brutally assaulted by a local bully, Amir is too scared to save him, and is tormented by feelings of guilt which follow him across the continents and generations. Barney George’s simple but effective set, dominated by a rising and falling kite, neatly evokes the central themes while also setting the scene – deftly transforming the Afghan landscape into the San Francisco skyline. Without having to worry where we are geographically and politically we are free to concentrate on the characters and the story. A story of love and betrayal, fathers and sons, good and evil, and the many grey areas in between.

David Ahmad, as Amir, is central to the drama, alternating between the role of narrator and then stepping into his reminiscences. The play does veer disproportionately towards telling us what happens rather than showing us, but Ahmad is a skilled storyteller whose portrayal is ultimately quite moving, especially in the closing moments when he learns some uncomfortable truths about his childhood. Equally strong support comes from Andrei Costin as the childhood friend, Hassan, who also doubles as his own orphaned son (apologies for the spoiler!) in the second act. Their alliance forms much of the political tension: their respective families coming from opposing ethnic backgrounds, although both becoming victims of the rise of the Taliban.

Dean Rehman cuts a formidable figure as Amir’s father, casting twin shadows of love and overbearing expectations over his susceptible son. The ensemble shift in the background between varying characters, occasionally coming to the fore to highlight key moments in the plot; particularly Lisa Zahra, who encapsulates wonderfully the patience and sorrow of Soraya, a fellow refugee of Amir who becomes his wife.

This production of The Kite Runner doesn’t always capture the beauty of the novel, but it certainly wrings the emotion from the central themes and relationships. In just over two hours we do get a pint-sized version, but it is a clear-cut potted history, thick with the atmosphere of a family saga; an atmosphere intensified by Jonathan Girling’s rhythmic soundscape, played live by Hanif Khan. Hosseini’s words are brought to life from the page in Giles Croft’s captivating production that orchestrates a man’s epic journey to the intimate tempos of his beating heart.

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Irina Chira

Tag Archives: Lisa Zahra

SAFE HAVEN

★★½

Arcola Theatre

SAFE HAVEN

Arcola Theatre

★★½

“There are commendable performances across the cast”