Not enough is known of Noor Inayat Khan’s heroism; she stands as a singular figure in British espionage history whose bravery posthumously earned a George Cross.
Born of Indian Muslim heritage, she was enlisted as a wireless operator and spy in Nazi-occupied France, working under codenames before being betrayed and executed at Dachau, in 1944.
This Kali Theatre production, written by Azma Dar and directed by Poonam Brah, enacts her life story from the point at which she loses contact with the British secret services. The framing device is a conversation between Noor’s section head, Vera – something of an M figure – and the captured German officer, Kieffer, who arrested Noor in France and sealed her fate. Noor intercepts the storytelling herself to draw us back to the beginning.
She is beguilingly played by Annice Boparai as an earnest young woman; although her story might resemble that of Mata Hari’s in its glamour (there is a fleeting comparison in this production), what made Noor so exceptional was her reluctance to tell lies and her pacifism, both inspired by her Sufi background. This is well explored in Dar’s script, which shows Noor’s loyalty to a bigger political campaign for Indian independence.
There is a lot of history, and plot, to cover and at first the script telegraphs its themes. But there is artfulness in the scene switches, with two scenarios sometimes happening at once, including surreal flashes of a children’s story that Noor has written. It is evocative but the conversations across time and place can be confusing and some scenes feel too short. The jeopardy in the drama only comes in snatches, perhaps as a result. But the story carries us and is beautifully staged across a long, traverse set, designed by Helen Coyston, which has secret compartments in its floorboards that mirror the theme of espionage.
Not every character is fleshed out yet it is the performances that make this production: actors bring polish to their parts, including Chris Porter as Kieffer and Caroline Faber as Vera, along with Boparai. One unspoken theme is of guilt and culpability in war, not only for Kieffer who insists he was “following orders” but for Vera, who is also implicated in Noor’s fate and must live with the consequences.
At Southwark Playhouse, London, until 26 November
