Kabul[author-post-rating] (5/5 stars)

Kabul, which bears the name of the troubled city in which it is set, is both the story of a place and something far more personal. Set in 1997 when, during the civil war in Afghanistan, Kabul came under the iron rule of the Taliban, this play by Brazilian theatre company AMOK Teatro looks at the lives of two couples struggling to live under the regime. The Taliban ran the city like a great mass prison; suddenly it was prohibited to laugh in public, for men to shave their beards off, for women to leave the house unaccompanied by a male relative (those found alone would be beaten) or speak unless spoken to.

Maryam (Fabianna de Mello e Souza) and Tariq (Stephane Brodt, who also directs) live in semi-silent misery. He is a jailer who spends nights in the company of the condemned before taking them to their executions; meanwhile, Maryam struggles with a terminal illness, as pale as death but defiant to the end. The show’s second, apparently unconnected couple have seen their home destroyed by bombs, their jobs taken, their liberties stolen. Madji (Marcus Pina/Bruce Araujo) walks the streets looking for work, while Zunaira (Kely Brito/Rosana Barros) simply waits; it is prohibited now for women to have jobs.

In the huge black room at the EICC, with its yawning spaces of which the intimate crowd occupy only a small part, the stage looks perfectly secluded, distant, with the jet black square in its centre like a mirror or a silent lake. It’s hugely atmospheric and the combination of lighting and music makes Kabul feel very filmic. The music itself is quite remarkable, performed by Beto Lemos on a variety of instruments. He plays a different piece for each scene, drawing on its themes and ending as the scene ends, which is the perfect complement to the action.

Adding to the overall filmic impression is the fact that Kabul is performed in the actors’ native Portuguese, with a screen at the top displaying subtitles. This has the initial effect of seeming a little strange and alienating – after all, subtitles on a cinema screen are one thing, but it’s rare to be in a room listening to people you cannot understand – but as Kabul slowly draws you in, you notice them less and less. Eventually you realise that you are too caught up in the story they are telling to notice them at all.

What a story they have to tell, too. Hugely rooted in a specific time and yet indicative of the struggles so many real people have faced under dictatorships across the world, Kabul is frequently almost unbearable to watch, but hypnotic, with a total hold on your attention. Tightly rehearsed and impeccably performed, this is the kind of play that will leave you holding your breath a little too long, that will imprint itself on your brain. Kabul has something to say and says it beautifully. Unmissable.

Kabul can be seen at 20.45 at Venue 150 @ EICC every day until 24th August. For more information and tickets, visit the Edinburgh Fringe website.