Little Brother (Playscript)

by Amets Arzallus Antia
Little Brother (Playscript) cover
Good Books rating 4.5
Drama
Technical:
  • ID: 358
  • Added: 2025-09-10
  • Updated: 2025-09-10
  • Published: 1970-01-01
  • Reviews: 3

Little Brother: Little Sister follows Sir and Madam, a teenage brother and sister who have taken refuge in a deep shelter after escaping the final moments of global destruction. Within this confined space, they explore the complexities of first love and family dynamics, accompanied by their aged family servant, Cook. The play delves into themes of survival, intimacy, and human connection in a post-apocalyptic setting. Out of the Flying Pan presents a sharp, fast-paced dialogue between two diplomats engaged in international negotiations filled with doubletalk and pretentious rhetoric. Their bitter disagreements culminate in a cosmic explosion, symbolizing the fragile and repetitive nature of political conflict. The play highlights the cyclical patterns of diplomacy and estrangement, reflecting on mankind's precarious existence in the shadow of potential annihilation.

Reviews
A Youngish Perspective · 2025-05-27
phenomenal 5.00

The play delivers a phenomenal and urgent message through an intimate setting and a strong cast. It powerfully communicates the monumental journey and experiences of a young migrant with great emotional resonance.

The reviewer praises the play for its compelling portrayal of Ibrahima Balde’s journey, noting the skillful direction and the suitability of the intimate theatre space to bring the audience close to the story. The adaptation is seen as timely and important, effectively relaying the human side of migration and the resilience required, making it a standout theatrical experience in the West End studio scene.

Quick quotes

    Artistic Director Stella Powell-Jones directs a phenomenal cast

    An urgent message for our times

    Communicating the incredible experiences of one young man

Faber & Faber · 2025-05-22
powerful 4.50

The adaptation unfolds with clarity and purpose, transforming a personal memoir into a universal story of familial devotion and migration. It shifts the perspective on migration from a crisis to individual stories filled with courage and hope.

This review highlights Timberlake Wertenbaker's skillful adaptation of the memoir by Amets Arzallus Antia and Ibrahima Balde, praising how the play captures the urgency and complexity of the migrant journey. The critic appreciates the narrative's transformation into a universal tale that humanizes migration, focusing on individual resilience rather than political crisis, offering audiences a fresh and necessary viewpoint on a contemporary issue.

Quick quotes

    unfolds with striking clarity and purpose

    transforms a deeply personal narrative into a universal tale of familial devotion amidst the harsh realities of contemporary migration

    It contextualises migration not as a crisis of borders but as individual stories of necessity, courage and hope

Everything Theatre · 2025-05-22
unsettling 4.00

The play is moving and unsettling, with a powerful performance that demands recognition of migrant stories. Some early pacing issues are noted, but the overall message is compelling and invites reflection on often unseen realities.

The reviewer finds the production emotionally impactful, emphasizing its authenticity and the importance of hearing migrant voices without pity. While the opening scenes could be trimmed for better pacing, the play effectively uses a real asylum case to deepen audience engagement, challenging viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about migration and human resilience.

Quick quotes

    Moving, unsettling, and beautifully performed

    Little Brother does not ask for pity; it asks to be heard

    The people who walk past us silently each day may be carrying stories like this one

Appears in Lists