Fireworks, Royal Court

It seems there is no contemporary political topic the Royal Court will not tackle in its extraordinary range of new writing this season. ‘Fireworks’ is written by the winner of their International Residency in 2013, and has since been in development and performed as rehearsed readings. It is set in a Palestinian town and presents the conflict with Israel through the eyes of two children, aged eleven and twelve.
And it is brave of them to foreground this international issue, which will certainly divide audiences. Whatever your views, the merit of this production is that its writer, Dalia Taha, grew up in Ramallah-Palestine; her second play should therefore offer an unrivalled insight into the situation from those at its centre. Young protagonists are often chosen in the bleakest of drama, as their perceptions are unclouded by the political allegiances amassed with age; we expect their voices to ring out with unflinching honesty.
Richard Twyman is an unsurprising choice to direct, given his superb, complex and magical rendering of The Djinns of Eidgah in 2013. The Royal Court is marking itself, yet again, as a powerhouse for theatrical discussion of global scope; if you want to be part of the debate then this is an unmissable date for your diary.