What's On

By special arrangement with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, Critical Stages Touring presents a livestreamed reading of Homebody/Kabul in support of two charities - Women for Afghan Women, and Mahboba’s Promise.

Presented in two parts over Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd October this rehearsed reading, directed by Chris Bendall, will reunite cast members from the award-winning Melbourne production alongside an all-star cast, performing from their homes across Australia.

Kushner’s Homebody/Kabul is the story of a lonely London housewife and the far-reaching effects of her fascination with Afghanistan, set off by an outdated guidebook. Set in 1998, and written before “September 11” and “Taliban” became part of our vocabulary, the story begins with a thrilling monologue from the Homebody. After the Homebody disappears into Afghanistan, her husband and daughter desperately search for her, becoming ever more ensnared in a culture ripped apart by centuries of turmoil.

This special presentation will not be recorded or available after the livestream and this extraordinary team of creatives invites you to join them online as they bring Kushner’s powerfully resonant life.

No tickets are needed but if you register we’ll remind you about the performances, and you can make a donation with your registration if you’d like to give now. Then, tune in on the day and invite your friends!

The crisis in Afghanistan has forced nearly 400,000 Afghans to flee their homes, towns, and provinces seeking safer refuge. The team at Critical Stages Touring is proud to be working with our arts community to find a way to support on-the-ground services for the most vulnerable.

Find out more about the charities we’re supporting by visiting:

www.womenforafghanwomen.org and www.mahbobaspromise.org

HOW TO WATCH:

When: Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd October, 7.30pm AEST

Where: www.facebook.com/criticalstages & www.youtube.com/user/criticalstages1

REGISTER & DONATE TODAY: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/171678273337

“HOMEBODY/KABUL is the most remarkable play in a decade … without a doubt the most important of our time.” New York Observer

“HOMEBODY/KABUL brings a passionate, critical voice to the conversation about world events. In the play, Kushner wrestles with his own complicated attitudes about a land whose destiny has been shaped by superpowers with agendas. The Kabul we see here is a place of great history and great cruelty, where Eastern and Western characters alike search for redemption in God or heroin or other people. It is a product of astounding timeliness. The cultural artifact of the moment.” Los Angeles Times

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Creative Team

Director: Chris Bendall

Sound Design: Jethro Woodward

Performers: Caroline Brazier, Simon Burke, Tyler Coppin, Geraldine Hakewill, Reza Momenzada, Wahibe Moussa, Mansoor Noor, Osamah Sami, Majid Shokor