Voice of London

Words: Bella Dawe | Subbing: Bernadette Galbraith

An unmissable performance for less than £20, Liwaa Yazji presents a different take on Syria using live goats.

Gunfire, rumours and propaganda: Liwaa Yazji’s ‘Goats’ is an honest and revealing story about conflict in Syria from a perspective few have considered. Included as part of a project by the Royal Court theatre in Sloane Square, Syrian writer Yazji has truly captured an important take on a war that so many have heard about but have never understood. In the play, the families affected by the conflict are themselves confused as to what is happening – who is fighting, and why? Whilst the propaganda machine churns out messages of national pride and patriotism, some brave citizens start to question what exactly their children are going off to fight or even die for.

Set in a small town riddled with poverty as well as bullets, Goats depicts the true struggle of child soldiers who become martyrs and what this means for the families they leave behind. Idealists, nationalists and whistle blowers are all given a place on stage, besides some adorable (and somewhat excitable) live goats.

Focusing on hard-hitting and sometimes upsetting issues, Liwaa Yazij manages to fuse both emotion and comedy; it’s hard to decide whether you should laugh or cry, when one of the goats relieves itself on stage right in the middle of a monologue about a community torn apart by war. A definite must-see, Goats highlights the important theme of truth. When considering the current Syrian refugee crisis, the play urges a British audience to consider the terror and confusion happening overseas, outside of the gaze of Western media.

Goats is on at the Royal Court until 30th December – buy tickets here.