DAVID COLEMAN HEADLEY Play Review

Ayushi Shah	Host-A-Performance \| Schedule

Direction : Jeff Goldberg Writer : Jeff Goldberg Cast : Jeff Goldberg

DAVID COLEMAN HEADLEY Review

It is not often that a performance can be mesmerising and painful to contemplate in equal measure. But such is the impact of Jeff Goldberg's powerful one man show DAVID COLEMAN HEADLEY. Spanning across an hour and a half, Goldberg's Headley takes the audience on a journey across America, Pakistan and Mumbai, all whilst he is handcuffed in a small prison room.

Goldberg handles his characterisation delicately as he explores Headley's tempestuous life, and his transformation from a kid, who did not quite fit into the mastermind mould of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Goldberg's Headley with his torn emotions and addiction-prone personality tempts us to delve deeper into the life of the man who scarred Mumbai. Goldberg's writing subtly and cleverly addresses deeper themes. It is known that the terror attacks were gruesomely planned by Headley but as the play progresses it is hard to ignore the other aspects which played their part: the imperfect intelligence, the politics at play, and the desperation of a misfit torn between two countries and two parents.

The minimal set, the restricted yet desperate handcuffed movements, and the selective use of stage lights work well for the performance. However, the background music fails to add any value. It becomes an unwanted distraction instead for the otherwise intense atmosphere.

With the 10th anniversary of the Mumbai attacks this year, it is definitely a hard performance to watch. Even Mumbaikars who escaped the horror that enveloped the city overnight have the day etched in their memories forever. They remember exactly where they were, what they were doing, what they lost. At the Royal Opera House, audience members could be seen flinching, clenching their fists and even shedding a tear as they relived the horror through this hard-hitting performance. By the end of the show, just as hard it is to forgive David Coleman Headley, it is also impossible to look away from the circumstances that shaped him.

*Ayushi Shah has a Bachelors Degree in Mass Media with a Major in Journalism. She has worked in various media and in public relations. She enjoys theatre and has acted in and directed inter-college festival plays.

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