AFGHANISTAN IS NOT FUNNY Returns to Adelaide Fringe Next Month

Since its premiere at Holden Street at the height of the pandemic, Afghanistan Is Not Funny has grown and developed into one of the most lauded shows on the Global Fringe Theatre circuit. After ten awards, an astonishing 36 four- and five-star professional reviews, 100 performances spanning four continents, and critically acclaimed seasons off-West End and off-Broadway, playwright Henry Naylor returns to the Adelaide Fringe for two weeks only.

In 2002, UK comedian and 3-time Edinburgh Fringe First winner Henry Naylor went to the Afghan Warzone with Photographer Sam Maynard to conduct research for Naylor's Edinburgh Fringe play Finding Bin Laden. They were threatened by a war criminal, captured by the Mujhadeen, and almost blown up by the Taliban… 

Performing in front of Maynard's stunning photos, Naylor relates how the trip transformed him from a stand-up into a playwright – in his honest, moving and often hilarious monologue.

This true story has been directed by two Fringe legends. The original show was directed by Holden Street's Artistic Director Martha Lott, and then was further developed by New York's Soho Playhouse's Artistic Director, Darren Lee Cole.

Garnering widespread praise from audiences and critics alike, The Stage calls Afghanistan Is Not Funny “remarkable …Both personal and political, both intimate and epic, it is full of colourful characters, and it explores essential issues with intelligence and integrity. It is funny, too, in a frank and self-effacing fashion.” All That Dazzles raved, “I'm not sure I've ever sat and listened to 70 minutes of one man's voice and been as consistently interested and engaged in everything he's saying,” while British Theatre Guide writes “everyone should see this play. This extraordinary show will linger with you for a long time.”

Recognition for Afghanistan Is Not Funny includes the Soho Playhouse Medal for Dramatic Excellence, Edinburgh Fringe 2022; Best International Show, Hollywood Fringe 2022; Platinum Medal, Tvolution, Hollywood Fringe 2022; Best International Show, TVO Awards, Hollywood Fringe 2022; Best of the Broadwater, Hollywood Fringe 2022; Best Theatre, Adelaide Fringe 2022; Adelaide Critics' Circle Award Winner, Adelaide Fringe 2022. British Theatre Guide chose it as one of the Picks of British Theatre in 2022, and in December of that year, it was officially selected as one of only 14 shows for the International Fringe Encore Series in New York– The Best of the Best of World Fringe. There, it won the Outstanding Production Award and the World's Best Fringe Theatre.

After winning 51 awards in the past decade, Henry Naylor is one of the all-time most decorated playwrights on the English-speaking, and global Fringe circuits. He is one of only a handful of writers to have won the prestigious Fringe First three times and has taken the top prizes at many of the world's largest and most prestigious Fringes including Edinburgh, Adelaide, Prague, Hollywood, and the International Fringe Encore Series in New York. His play Borders won the Best of Edinburgh (which named it as the best of 3,700+ shows) whereas Angel was both named as one of The Times ten best plays of 2016 and nominated for France's equivalent of the Golden Globes (the Globes de Cristal). Naylor's plays have been translated into eleven languages.

VENUE: Holden Street Theatres (Studio)

DATES: 5-10th March at 7.30pm, 9th March at 2.30pm, 10th March at 4.30pm, 12th-15th & 17th March at 6.00pm, 16th March at 2.30pm, 17th March at 1.00pm

DURATION: 60 Mins.

TICKETS:  Holden Street Theatres Box Office 08 8225 8888 www.holdenstreettheatres.com

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