Review: France, or The Niqab

Charlotte Gowdy (l) and Beatriz Yuste

Social Commentary...and humour
by Dave Ross

“You are no doubt aware of the law that prohibits women from wearing a covering of the face in public.” This line, borrowed from a gendarme in France, or the Niqab, highlights the central issue of this play. The issue of women wearing traditional garments such as the niqab or burqa in public came to a head in France during the presidency of Nicolas Sarcozy, who passed a law stating that it was illegal for women to cover their faces in public.  Playwright Sean Dixon was inspired by the column “Minister Kenney, can I become a citizen in these shoes?” by Tabatha Southey.

men...cover their eyes with sunglasses or “mini-burqas” while they gaze at women

The play opens with Sameera (you’ll have to excuse any misspellings of names, as performers are not credited to specific roles in the program) receiving a ticket for driving while wearing her niqab. She decides to challenge the ticket, and engages the services of Tabatha, a lawyer, who herself is unsure that she is dedicated to the cause. The two women eventually agree that Tabatha should wear a niqab for a day, and then decide if she can take on the case. A series of antics ensue, with Tabatha electing to wear only underwear under the niqab, which leads to humour upon her ticketing and subsequent arrest for the same crime Sameera committed. The play follows Tabatha through her niqab-equipped day as she comes to realize what wearing the garment symbolizes, and how hypocritical this law is, a law that demands women reveal their faces to the opposite sex while simultaneously allowing men to cover their eyes with sunglasses or “mini-burqas” while they gaze at women. 

The play tackles what could be a sensitive issue with an appropriate measure of tact and a healthy dose of well-timed humour. The pacing of the play suffered somewhat, with scene transitions seeming to take quite some time. There are also some sequences that seem out of place, as if Dixon or director Tanja Jacobs were unsure of what to do next, such as the “Dance of the Two Veils” in jail between Sameera and Tabatha, set to Beyoncé’s “Run The World (Girls).” The story loses direction here, and the audience was unsure if this was comedic in nature or some sort of commentary. 

The cast is strong. Salvatore Antonio is excellent as the fine-paying saviour of Sameera and Tabatha, though his caricature of a gendarme is conflicted. Charlotte Gowdy and Beatriz Yuste portray the female characters, which are more nuanced than the male characters. Tabatha’s ditziness, intelligence, and strength come through equally well, and Sameera is a delicious character to watch. She must deliver some lines that would seem out of place, or less than demure considering the assumptions about women who wear the niqab (my personal favourite is “Show me your tits, show me your bazongas!”). The play has an effective soundscape, designed by Gurpreet Ghana, and a simple yet effective set designed by Victoria Wallace. 

No doubt the timing and pacing issues will be adjusted as the show matures during the festival. There is a perfect balance of social commentary and humour in the script, and the fact that a strong cast backs it makes this a show worth seeing. Add it to your list!

France, or The Niqab is at SummerWorks