Raw emotion

“A subplot about Wahida’s thesis on a 15th-century Muslim diplomat named al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Wazzan seems a distraction at first – but the eventual payoff is huge.

Wazzan, a real historical figure and possible inspiration for Shakespeare’s Othello, appears magically in many scenes from Wahida’s point of view – and is played with great grace by Aladeen Tawfeek, especially as he delivers a parable at the heartbreaking climax of the play.

Birds of a Kind is hardly a succinct play, clocking in at over three hours. While I will mainly defend Mouawad from accusations of overwriting – I almost always eventually get swept up in the sprawl of his Sturm und Drang – there are aspects here that feel reminiscent of early versions of older plays he eventually trimmed.”