Overview
Synopsis
Tony Kushner’s Homebody/Kabul revolves around a lonely London housewife, the Homebody, and the far-reaching effects of her romanticized fascination with Afghanistan. Her obsession with the country is set off by an old, outdated guidebook which she pores over. Trapped in an unhappy family home, she suddenly decides to leave and disappears into Kabul where she is soon reported as dead. But is she? Leaving the familiar behind them, her husband and daughter set out to search for her body. It is not long before they find themselves ensnared in a foreign culture torn apart by centuries of war and turmoil, and now trapped in a brutal regime. Developed and written before the horror of 9/11, Homebody/Kabul creates a vivid portrait of a dangerous collision between cultures.
Show Information
- Book
- Tony Kushner
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1997
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- London, England, Kabul, Afghanistan, August 1998
- Cast Size
- medium
- Ideal For
- Diverse Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
|
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A long, loose garment covering the whole body from head to feet, worn in public by women in many Muslim countries.
An artificial language devised in 1887 as an international medium of communication, based on roots from the chief European languages.
A member of one's family with whom marriage is forbidden.
The language of the Pashtuns and the official language of Afghanistan.
A member of a Pashto-speaking people inhabiting southern Afghanistan and north-western Pakistan.
A Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, and jihadist political movement in Afghanistan.
Videos
Sorry! We do not currently have videos for this guide.
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Quote Analysis
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher