Selling Kabul
80

Selling Kabul NYC Reviews and Tickets

80%
(60 Ratings)
Positive
90%
Mixed
8%
Negative
2%
Members say
Intense, Absorbing, Relevant, Great acting, Thought-provoking

A new thriller tracking the human cost of immigration policy.

Read more Show less

Show-Score Member Reviews (60)

Sort by:
  • Default
  • Standing in our community
  • Highest first
  • Lowest first
  • Newest first
  • Oldest first
  • Only positive
  • Only negative
  • Only mixed
101 Reviews | 4 Followers
100
Absorbing, Great acting, Intelligent, Relevant, Intense

See it if You want to live for 90 minutes in the lives of characters being hunted by the Taliban, and don't are brought in by that intensity.

Don't see it if You will be overwhelmed by an extremely intense plot and series of events. This is probably the most intense piece of theatre I've seen.

207 Reviews | 34 Followers
93
Masterful, Intense, Great acting, Absorbing, Ambitious

See it if you like plays that make you think. or plays that make you sit on the edge of your seat the entire time --so sadly relevant and heartbreakin

Don't see it if DO SEE IT!

SW
180 Reviews | 26 Followers
92
Great sound design, Great lighting design, Masterful, Intense, Absorbing

See it if you want an edge-of-your-seat experience that, even with a few clunkier moments, builds and builds until it releases you back into the night

Don't see it if you don’t like your theater to deal with political issues (from a personal lens — this isn’t Oslo) or you’re looking for an easy night out

98 Reviews | 15 Followers
92
Intense, relevant, great acting

See it if you like very serious plays about the world we live in and you are not afraid of intense theatrical experiences, with wonderful acting.

Don't see it if you only like comedy or light subjects. Read more

812 Reviews | 132 Followers
92
Absorbing, Great acting, Great writing, Relevant, Intense

See it if you like a powerful and intense drama.I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Great acting and script.

Don't see it if you don't like a tense drama. Read more

399 Reviews | 205 Followers
91
Intense, Profound, Masterful, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if Illuminates the abandonment of Afghani translators by the US government and the tragic consequences on those people. Heart-breaking.

Don't see it if If you're not interested in the fate of people around the world, or don't want to hear about how the US has abandoned its friends.

314 Reviews | 52 Followers
90
Intense, Great writing, Great acting, Ambitious, Absorbing

See it if You are interested in hearing about the survival of people living in Afghanistan during the Taliban regime. The acting was superb!

Don't see it if You don't really care about people suffering forced to live under a violent sect, and the compromises that have to make.

372 Reviews | 84 Followers
90
Profound, Intelligent, Great acting, Absorbing, Ambitious

See it if Harrowing one night of action where every second has impact and meaning--great performances, and poignant painful story.

Don't see it if you don't like political drama, you don't want personal stories to bring the news to life for you, and you want a happy ending.

Critic Reviews (5)

Lighting & Sound America
December 7th, 2021

In Selling Kabul, Khoury employs the basic tools of stage thrillers to evoke the plight of a family caught in deadly political crossfire… As tense and involving as Selling Kabul is, however, one wishes that certain inconsistencies had been ironed out in the months since its thwarted March 2020 debut… Still, Khoury is a talent to watch.
Read more

New York Stage Review
December 6th, 2021

"Khoury’s achievement is unmistakable...Since Selling Kabul is a high-wire drama, worse developments befall Taroon, Afiya, Jawid, and Layla. The four are a row of vertical dominoes collapsing, though no further shocks will be itemized here. It’s enough to say “drama” hardly begins to describe what goes on. Even moments of melodrama poke through. Aside from Layla’s initial visit and an exchange between Taroon and Jawid towards fade-out, bickering and outright knockdown-drag-outs dominate."
Read more

TheaterScene.net
December 6th, 2021

Will a former Afghani U.S. Armed Forces interpreter get himself and his family out of the country before he’s captured by the Taliban in 2013? This is the crux of playwright Sylvia Khoury’s gripping, thoughtful and suspenseful drama, Selling Kabul. In a straight through 100 minutes, Ms. Khoury crafts an accessible overview of that conflict, sets up a compelling story and employs a classic plot device. Khoury’s smooth passionate dialogue imparts exposition and biographical details while advancing action with technical accomplishment.
Read more

Front Row Center
December 14th, 2021

"With “Selling Kabul” playwright Sylvia Khoury gives us a thoughtful, riveting exploration of the human costs of war once the fight is over for the state, but ongoing for the individuals decommissioned from the effort – on every level."
Read more

New York Theater
December 6th, 2021

As timely as the drama might be, I think it would be a mistake for theatergoers to rely on “Selling Kabul” as a source of information about Afghanistan or the U.S. involvement there. Rather, it is a twisty drama that benefits from a fine production ….an increasingly taut weave that tightens around the characters’ necks. If you look too closely, though, there are some holes in that weave
Read more