The Boy With Two Hearts offers a poignant insight into the lives of refugees – review
The Boy With Two Hearts – based on the book by Hamed and Hessam Amiri – has just opened at the National Theatre, having transferred from the Wales Millennium Centre.
It’s a true story, based on the brothers’ real-life experiences as they fled Afghanistan as children. After their mother speaks out publicly against the Taliban, demanding equal rights for women, a death warrant is issued against her; to make their situation even more desperate, their brother Hussein has a heart condition and will require specialist care.
As a family they decide their best option to escape the Taliban, and seek the required medical intervention, is to seek refuge in the UK.
It’s a gripping tale – over the course of two hours we see their journey, including every small step forward and every major setback; we witness the awful living conditions, the reality of squeezing a family into the boot of a car, or a hidden compartment in a lorry or a shipping container; we see the reality of living in a camp in Calais, and the desperation of those wishing to escape.
