The title of Dennis Kelly’s play Osama the Hero is derived from one of the character’s school presentations. Oddball teenager Gary chooses Osama Bin Laden, who denied wealth, status and comfortable living to fight Communists in the mountains of Afghanistan, as the subject of his school project entitled Heroic Persons.
However, Gary’s way of seeing the world differently leads to him provoking local people who accuse him of being a threat… and possibly a terrorist himself. This leads to a terrible act of pain and torture.
Osama the Hero is the first play being presented by MADC since Adrian Buckle – founder of Unifaun Theatre Company, well-known for producing hard-hitting, sometimes controversial plays – was appointed its artistic director. It was Mr Buckle who brought the play to the attention of young director Erin Stewart Tanti (also known for his maverick theatre choices).
“The first time I read the play I was rather blown away, not only because it is beautifully written… I felt moved, violated even, and on closer examination, I realised that Kelly has the harrowing capacity of cutting a little piece out of the audience and laying it out on display,” Mr Buckle explains.
Mr Buckle first presented the play to me, but I came to appreciate how well-needed it was – art for art’s sake is a dying concept.
“For me actors and activists are synonymous. This is why I was interested in this play,” he adds.
Mr Stewart Tanti says that people should watch the play as it deals with a current situation which seems to be getting worse, not better. He cites the recent cases of the bomb at the ADT offices and of the young woman held hostage for hours while being beaten up by her boyfriend.
“The play is about how we cannot trust anyone anymore, how there are no heroes left – only a few weeks ago local councillors were arrested for fraud – and how this leaves the people lost in their own sense of disbelonging, therefore taking the law into their own hands,” he says.
When searching for his cast, Mr Stewart Tanti said that he had to choose carefully.
“Due to the nature of the play, the prerequisite was a certain amount of knowledge about local and international affairs and a firm passion rooted in social conscience. The actors needed to be intelligent and dedicated. I tend to only work with actors who have an ethical conscience and opinion. I encourage research and I stimulate the actors to generate the work themselves, to make it their own and to bring out its relevance to the audience.”
The cast of Osama the Hero is made up of Luke Farrugia who plays Gary, as well as Joe Pace, Karl Cassar, Davinia Hamilton and Larissa Bonaci.
Ms Hamilton says it has been interesting discussing the issues which arise in the play, as well as trying to figure out exactly why the characters do what they do. The character she plays, Louise, is one tough cookie. She is trying to pull herself out of ignorance and poverty and has managed to find an office job. However, she still manages to find herself drawn into the torture of Gary.
“The problem is, she is held back by her unemployed, unpredictable and unstable brother Francis (played by Karl Cassar), who she feels responsible for. Louise wants to be happy and she cannot sit back and let a ‘terrorist’ shatter her hopes and dreams. She also exists within a male-dominated society and feels compelled not to let any form of weakness hold her back from achieving what she wants.”
• Osama the Hero is being staged at St James Cavalier on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, February 18-20 and 25-27. Tickets may be obtained by calling on 2122 3200 or by sending an e-mail to bookings@sjcav.org.