The title of this confronting but surprisingly playful monologue about a young Palestinian woman in Gaza refers to the small bomb the Israeli Defence Force drops on buildings to warn residents that an annihilating missile will follow five minutes later. Compellingly performed by its writer Khawla Ibraheem, it’s a reminder of the complex humanity of the civilians killed in the current conflict that began with Hamas’s terror attack on October 7, and in previous wars in the region.
This is partly achieved through repetition and reinforcement, though, which ultimately dulls the edge of a drama that lasts just 75 minutes. That Oliver Butler’s production for piece by piece has found a home at the Royal Court after runs in Edinburgh and New York feels like a statement by the venue’s still-new artistic director David Byrne. The Court has faced accusations of antisemitism over plays including Jim Lee’s Perdition in 1987, Caryl Churchill’s Seven Jewish Children in 2009, and Al Smith’s Rare Earth Mettle (sic) in 2021.
