The Zigazig Ahhh… of Afghanistan

Who knew that the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” could perfectly sum up the irony in Afghanistan’s situation? Whatever a zigazig ah is, Afghanistan is going through it, has gone through and will continue to go through, at least according to David Greig whose short play ‘Miniskirts of Kabul’ is part of The Great Game trilogy.

A riveting drama, consisting of 12 short plays interspersed with several monologues returned to London’s Tricycle Theatre a few months ago following a successful run last year. And now, it is set to cross the pond and make the rounds in a number of cities including New York and Washington DC.

It is difficult to talk or write about Afghanistan without mentioning the war, its political situation and the Taliban. But what the Great Game highlights is that Afghanistan has a history that predates Usama Bin Laden’s decision to take up residence in its mountains.

Split into three chronological parts, The Great Game is effectively a lesson in Afghanistan’s history and politics. Although the plays are largely fictional, they have been thoroughly researched and deeply rooted in country’s tumultuous historical reality, explored from the perspectives of all who have left a mark in the country.

And it is educational. The UK’s top military commander Sir David Richards took a delegation from the armed forces to see the trilogy in order to promote greater understanding of the task they faced.

Despite dealing with such a sensitive topic, none of the plays preach to the audience, none offer solutions to the problems. The realities are presented to the audience who are left to make their own minds up. This is theater at its best.

And suddenly the lyrics click: “If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends, make it last forever, friendship never ends”. (Didn’t even need to look that up). But in Afghanistan no one is really sure who is friends with whom and so far none of the friendships have lasted forever.

Each part can be seen separately and not necessarily in chronological order, but for full effect, try the weekend marathons. Word of warning though, make sure you pinpoint the closest Afghan restaurant if you decide to go for the latter. You will crave mulberry-scented rice, even if you’ve never had it before.