^{Picture: J Shurte}

Rwanda’s 1994 genocide remains one of the 20^th century’s most shocking events with The Book Of Life acting as a healing show that speaks of the attempts to reconcile and move forward. Writer and activist Kiki Katese presents testimonies from victims and perpetrators (and those left behind) supported by a group of female drummers who intersperse her storytelling with beautiful traditional song.

But moving past the violence, Katese weaves these testimonies between a traditional tale and her own biography; the history and context of the genocide is avoided, focussing instead on a slow repair of domestic life and a sense of absence left by the dead. Warm-hearted and articulate, the production is measured, only emotive when the songs or the drumming emerge. Yet the production lacks urgency, failing to vary the structure and only occasionally bringing its elements together to create an emotional impact.

Having stripped the testimonies of their context, Katese’s speeches reach towards an almost abstract consideration of grief and consequence; when she asks the audience to draw a grandfather, or the projection depicts victims and families, the message strives towards a universality of grief and regret. The words of the perpetrators are often the most moving, capturing a moment of understanding.

Reviewed at Church Hill Theatre as part of the Edinburgh International Festival.