Baghdaddy

Congratulations! Your pain is commerciallyviable.

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 Neighboursand 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...

Baghdaddyis 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.

This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at London’s Royal Court Theatre in November 2022.

Jasmine Naziha Jones was part of a Royal Court Introduction to Playwriting Group. She has written over 30 radio dramas for BBC Radio, including Baghdad Burning, The Talking Mongoose, Moominland Midwinter, Girls of Riyadh and The White Hotel. Jasmine was a highly commended sight-reader and Carleton Hobbs award runner up. With her theatre company Feral Pigeons, Jasmine devised and co-wrote comedy musical ’The Sisters’ which premiered at Latitude festival and played Leicester Sq Theatre and Hen & Chickens.