In today’s world it’s considered a societal 'norm' to avoid speaking of anything too controversial, but Queensland Theatre’s presentation of 'Disgraced' blows all social etiquette out of the water.
'Disgraced' is a hard-hitting drama, intimately exploring the complex issues of race, religion, political correctness and identity.
Undoubtedly one of the standout theatre performances of 2016, Melbourne Theatre Company’s interpretation of Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 'Disgraced' is fantastic, telling the story of Amir Kapoor, a high-flying lawyer living a seemingly idyllic life in New York with his artist wife, Emily.
Amir (Hazem Shammas) is a middle-aged American man of Pakistani-Muslim heritage, living the epitome of the classic American dream, with a successful career and the possibility of becoming a partner of his Jewish law firm on the horizon.
Image © Jeff BusbyHis wife Emily (Libby Munro), a white American woman, is enraptured by all that the Islamic world represents, in particular Islamic art, and is hoping to make her break in the art world by drawing inspiration on ancient Islamic murals and paintings.
Emily is eventually offered an incredible opportunity by art dealer, Isaac (Mitchell Butel) who also happens to be married Amir’s colleague, Jory (Zindzi Okenyo) and the couple are therefore invited over to Emily and Amir’s apartment to celebrate.
Here, the story takes a dramatic turn of events and all four characters thrust the audience into an intense debate involving everything from gender politics, race and cultural appropriation to finally the most pressing issue of our time, namely Western-Islamic relations.
Image © Jeff Busby'Disgraced' does not hold back, putting a voice to many an awkward idea or question that often lingers as the elephant in the room regarding these issues, and the tension created by these characters leaves the audience utterly gobsmacked.
The cast members are absolutely outstanding in their performances, including Kane Felsinger who plays Amir’s nephew, Abe, and combined with the costumes and uber-cool set design, everything ties perfectly together to create a realistic, relatable modern-day setting.
'Disgraced' is a universal story that can resonate with and apply to any country and/or culture around the world, including Australia, and it is no doubt this universality that makes the story so incredibly powerful and relevant.
★★★★★
