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Theatre of Iraq Under Occupation, 2003-2011: Lamentation, Homeland, Identity
From its inception in the northern city of Mosul in the late nineteenth century, Iraqi theatre leaned toward the utopian. Iraqis saw themselves as inheritors of the ancient culture of Mesopotamia, and dramatists frequently referred to the region’s rich history as they imagined the future.
However, in 2003, the United States invasion of Iraq propelled Iraqi theatre in an altogether different direction. Global media published photographs documenting the torture of Iraqi detainees by American soldiers and sectarian violence broke out, as Shiʿa and Sunni militias struggled for power. Theatre of Iraq Under Occupation examines the occupation’s impact on Iraqi theatre as eliciting lamentation over loss of homeland and identity, and as an assault on the Iraqi character itself. The first volume in English dedicated solely to theatre in Iraq, James Al-Shamma and Amir Al-Azraki’s insights don’t just offer a significant contribution to cultural studies, they bridge foreign policy and art in real time.
However, in 2003, the United States invasion of Iraq propelled Iraqi theatre in an altogether different direction. Global media published photographs documenting the torture of Iraqi detainees by American soldiers and sectarian violence broke out, as Shiʿa and Sunni militias struggled for power. Theatre of Iraq Under Occupation examines the occupation’s impact on Iraqi theatre as eliciting lamentation over loss of homeland and identity, and as an assault on the Iraqi character itself. The first volume in English dedicated solely to theatre in Iraq, James Al-Shamma and Amir Al-Azraki’s insights don’t just offer a significant contribution to cultural studies, they bridge foreign policy and art in real time.
249 pages, Paperback
Published December 30, 2025
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December 30, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
This was very interesting to read, even though I did not know anything about Iraqi theatre at all before picking up this book. The information was presented in an accessible way, making it easy to follow the authors' arguments and findings even without any background knowledge.
I think one issue with this book that the authors couldn't really have done anything about is the inaccessibility of the theatre they write about to an audience that does not speak Arabic, nor has a way to watch Iraqi theatre. While I in no way want to imply that they are lying or making things up, it would have been nice to watch the plays they discuss in their analyses for myself, if only because they sound interesting. However, I do not speak Arabic, and resources to watch Iraqi theatre in English translation are incredibly limited, which also affected slightly how I felt about this book, as there was an additional layer of removal between me and the subject matter.
Still, the authors gave a lot of context and included quotes from the plays, so this is only a small issue, and only took away a little from my enjoyment of this work, as it introduced a very interesting subject matter to me in a way I still found accessible.
I also appreciated the inclusion of woman and Afro-Iraqi playwrights, as these voices tend to be marginalised.
This was very interesting to read, even though I did not know anything about Iraqi theatre at all before picking up this book. The information was presented in an accessible way, making it easy to follow the authors' arguments and findings even without any background knowledge.
I think one issue with this book that the authors couldn't really have done anything about is the inaccessibility of the theatre they write about to an audience that does not speak Arabic, nor has a way to watch Iraqi theatre. While I in no way want to imply that they are lying or making things up, it would have been nice to watch the plays they discuss in their analyses for myself, if only because they sound interesting. However, I do not speak Arabic, and resources to watch Iraqi theatre in English translation are incredibly limited, which also affected slightly how I felt about this book, as there was an additional layer of removal between me and the subject matter.
Still, the authors gave a lot of context and included quotes from the plays, so this is only a small issue, and only took away a little from my enjoyment of this work, as it introduced a very interesting subject matter to me in a way I still found accessible.
I also appreciated the inclusion of woman and Afro-Iraqi playwrights, as these voices tend to be marginalised.
Displaying 1 of 1 review