A show that combines literature with contemporary subjects? Take My Money!
Beowulf in Afghanistan is a fantastical new play put on by the Great Canadian Theatre Company until Nov. 24. It’s a wild ride, so strap yourself in.
You don’t need to know about the epic Old English poem, Beowulf, to enjoy this performance. You don’t even need to know about Canada’s contribution to the multi-national mission in Afghanistan (2001-2014), which the U.S. government called Operation Enduring Freedom. But it helps.
You can learn more about Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan here
Beowulf in Afghanistan follows Grant Cleary, a Canadian soldier deployed to — you guessed it — Afghanistan. In the first half of the play, he is badly wounded when his convoy is attacked by the Taliban, which leads his consciousness to float between reality, memory and fantasy. In the desert, he explores Beowulf with his former college English professor, becoming the hero of his hallucinations.
(L-R): Michelle LeBlanc and Micah Jondel DeShazer in Beowulf in Afghanistan. Photo by Curtis Perry.
Through action and dialogue, parallels are revealed between the poem and Cleary’s physical struggles and inner turmoil. In a clever play on words, Cleary says he is “enduring freedom” in Afghanistan, as if his actions there are not to be celebrated but suffered. This cynicism in the face of moral uncertainty is a reality that I’m sure many idealists can relate to.
The show’s lights and sounds dazzle, and the actors use every part of the stage and set to evoke the strange, raw emotionality of war.
The second half of the show follows Cleary into the world of academia, where he spars with his professor over the contradictions he sees in Beowulf. He is determined to unearth the hidden story, the truth made hazy when the victors write the history books. This part of the play is oddly cerebral but creates a delightful bookend to the action of the first half.
(L-R): Michelle LeBlanc and Micah Jondel DeShazer in Beowulf in Afghanistan. Photo by Curtis Perry.
In the poem, Beowulf, the titular hero, volunteers to save the people of Heorot from the monster, Grendel, who has been terrorizing them for a dozen years. He triumphs, but a bloodbath ensues when Beowulf rests while Grendel’s mother seeks vengeance. Beowulf eventually frees Heorot of both monsters and returns home a king.
Cleary believes that a true warrior would not have rested as Beowulf did when danger still loomed. He argues that the people of Heorot were invaders, settlers in a foreign land where Grendel’s people represented the indigenous community displaced by them.
Beowulf in Afghanistan makes us question what victory means and whether it’s worth the cost. It makes us rethink what defines a hero. It makes us consider more deeply the impact of military action in the world and at home. It’s a lot to chew on, but this show is a must see!
Beowulf in Afghanistan is playing at the Great Canadian Theatre Company, 1233 Wellington Street West, from Nov. 14-24. To learn more about Beowulf in Afghanistan and to get tickets, visit the Great Canadian Theatre Company online.
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