Revolution Days theatre review: Witness to a revolution
Olivia Hemmati delivers a powerful performance in Mariem Omari’s timely monologue, charting one aid worker’s journey through the Arab Spring
Revolution Days recalls the Arab Spring through the eyes of Samira, a Scottish aid worker who refuses to look away. Based on the real life experiences of playwright Mariem Omari, the play was first written to mark the ten-year anniversary of the Middle Eastern uprising. Now reworked to reflect today’s political backdrop, this monologue conveys the horrors of war with candid humour, smart storytelling and startling truth.
We first meet Samira (Olivia Hemmati) in a Jordan airport. Wide eyed and optimistic, the young Arab-Scot has ditched her native Glasgow to work for the United Nations as a humanitarian observer, an opportunity she believes will offer her the chance to make a real difference in the region. When Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation sparks a wave of anti-government uprisings in neighbouring nations, Samira is thrust into the heartlands of the Middle Eastern protests, growing increasingly disillusioned with the UN’s effectiveness as she witnesses destitute scenes in the West Bank, Iraq and Syria.
Never one to turn down a mission, Samira must deal with the physical and mental consequences of the trauma she bears witness to on a daily basis. Hemmati gives an inspired turn as the once-optimistic samaritan, converting a palpable feeling of helplessness as Samira’s hair falls out by the clump. That Omari was able to transform several lifetimes’ worth of trauma into an eloquent 70 minute production is testament to her abilities as a writer. That a play first staged five years ago already merits a revamp shows how far the Middle East is from the systemic change that appeared briefly possible in the Arab Spring’s early days.
Revolution Days is touring Scotland until Saturday 20 June; reviewed at Citizens Theatre, Glasgow; picture: Sally Jubb.