Baghdaddy

‘Congratulations! Your pain is commercially viable.’ 

It’s 1991 and the Gulf War rages three thousand, three hundred and twenty miles away. Darlee is 8 years old, crying behind the wheelie bookcase in Miss Stratford’s classroom. She’s just realised she’s Iraqi. Or half. Maybe both.

She saw it on the news last night after Neighbours and fish fingers. Heard the fear slipping through the receiver, saw it oozing from Dad’s eyeballs and into the living room as he tried to phone home.

What she can’t process now, she’ll be haunted by later; the spirits hounding her will make sure of that…

‘Operation Desert Storm; you won’t lose a wink of sleep over it. Except your Daddy. Your Daddy’s shitting his pants. Enjoy your Viennetta.’

Baghdaddy is a playfully devastating coming-of-age story, told through clowning and memory to explore the complexities of cultural identity, generational trauma and a father-daughter relationship amidst global conflict.

Jasmine Naziha Jones’s debut play was developed as part of an Introduction to Playwriting group at the Royal Court. Royal Court Associate Milli Bhatia (seven methods of killing kylie jenner) directs.

Baghdaddy has been generously supported by a lead gift from Charles Holloway. It is a co-production with SISTER.