The semi-biographical story told by Manal through rants, movement, and raw honesty towards her secret and forbidden white boyfriend isn’t for the faint-hearted. Descriptions of forced imprisonment, eating disorders, and controlling behavior endured at the hands of her Muslim father.
RAH explores the internal battle taking place between who Manal wants to be against the paternal hold her Father has over her. A Casablancan Muslim Manal describes everything that pretty much everything that she does staunchly goes against his religion, from drinking and smoking to showing her ankles.
Honour killings within certain religious communities are rarely discussed until one takes place that will hit the mainstream media, which will then report the event in detail, shocking the wider community who can’t believe this has happened. However, there are around twelve each year, which on average, is one per month, and I don’t recall hearing about that many.
However, a strong sense of hypocrisy came through the performance upon learning that Manal’s mother is from Ireland and is white and from the United Kingdom. Which left me Questioning just how strictly religious her father is. As he broke his own rules to father Manal.
Laila Latifa’s performance is powerful, and as expected with a Semi-biographical production, the audience can feel her passion through every movement and word. Yet, as with many Fringe venues, the audience numbers were low, and this is a production that deserves to be seen.
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Four Stars.
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