Teachers' Notes
Robin Soans’ verbatim play Talking to Terrorists opened in Britain in July 2005 at the time of the London bombings. This timely and relevant play follows the real stories of different characters including terrorists, victims of terrorism, relief workers as well as politicians. Soans’ writing of the play saw him conduct interviews with various people such as members of the Irish Republican Army, the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Secretary of State involved in the peace process in Northern Ireland. The play moves to Uganda with the story of a former child soldier in the National Resistance Army and the violence she endured. A former member of the Kurdish Workers Party takes the audience to Turkey and outlines the discrimination faced that led to his participation in a terrorist group. The words of the leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Bethlehem demonstrate the ease with which contempt is formed. These personal stories are intertwined with those people affected by acts of terrorism such as Norman Tebbit and his wife, left paralysed by the Brighton bombing. The opposing stories of politicians and relief workers aiming for peace provide a neutral setting for the play. The characters provide powerful snapshots of their experiences and how these experiences shape their personal views on terrorism.
This set of Teachers' Notes has been developed by Nell Bunce, Dramaturge, Talking to Terrorists, 2010.