Baghdad, Baby!

An exotic tragi-comic epic with romantic overtones, ''Baghdad, Baby!'' is a perfect balance of humour, politics, broken hearts and outrage. Very few audience members leave without feeling their personal beliefs have been shaken, whatever their convictions or stance on the Americans'' -- and New Zealand''s -- policy in the Middle East. However, this is primarily a play about people, our common humanity; how, when faced with violence and our need for love and security, we all want the same fundamental things. ''Baghdad, Baby!'' was nominated for Best Play, Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards 2005, and is currently in pre-production for a season at the Pacific Theatre in London. Always a writer with strong political convictions, Dean Parker has been encouraged by the new wave of political dramas of the last few years, and has produced New Zealand''s own; a funny, confident, mature and highly contemporary political play. He completely avoids propaganda and rant, and presents all points of view lucidly, with humour, tolerance and compassion, without ever dropping the ''entertainment'' ball. The play encourages readers to question all prejudice; politicians'', journalists'', and their own assumptions of human nature at war. It also gives an unusual perspective on New Zealand''s place in the world, and is an object lesson in how to write powerful, poignant and affecting political theatre, so is also a valuable resource for our rapidly growing crowd of script and screenplay writing students. Cast: 4 male; 2 female.