Themes/issues

Terrorism is a complex issue.

This play displays the many sides of terrorism and the different people impacted by terrorist actions. One of the main themes of the play is the idea of talking to terrorists. The play conveys the importance of open and fair dialogue in alleviating the tensions that often lead to terrorism. Giving a voice to the marginalised and the voiceless can allow for a dialogue that reduces the likelihood of resorting to terrorism as a way to be heard.

The morality of torture is an issue explored by Soans’ play. The play discusses whether information obtained from torture should be used by governments who are aware of the methods by which it is gathered. This issue is of relevance in the current climate of the ‘war on terror’ where torture is a common yet unreliable and inhumane method of gathering information on terrorist activities.

The problem of child soldiers in conflicts is also explored: issues of child abuse and the use of children to perform violent acts in war zones are discussed by several of the characters and methods for resolving the child soldier dilemma are explained.