ED2019 4/5 Reviews ED2019 Theatre Reviews

Bismillah! An ISIS Tragicomedy (Wound Up Theatre)

By | Published on Friday 16 August 2019

Walking into the Underbelly venue, converted into a makeshift bunker for ISIS captives, we hear a compilation of Queen songs blast from the speaker. “I want to break free”, yelps the detainee. With over 50 performances and now in its second run at the Fringe, Wound Up Theatre’s ‘Bismillah!’ presents an engaging dialogue. An ISIS recruit from London, Danny is bemused by the relevance of Queen, but after spending a period of time torturing Dean, a captured British soldier, their conversations lead to their similarities and differences back in Britain – including relationships and working in a Wetherspoon’s. Both actors give fervent, gripping performances and seem reassuringly versatile, while utilising the backdrop to its maximum potential.

Underbelly Cowgate, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Kieran Scott]

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