Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan had an extraordinary life. Descended from the ruler of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, born in Moscow and raised in Paris, she fled to Britain with her family in 1940 after the fall of France. She joined the WAAF before being recruited by the Special Operations Executive and, in June 1943, was sent to occupied France by Lysander aircraft as a wireless operator. The life expectancy for wireless operators working in occupied France was said to be just six weeks, yet Khan continued operating in Paris for several months after the rest of her network had been rounded up. This is a life full of drama, but the challenge for any biographical play is to shape that material into a story with a clear point and a strong arc of development. The facts may all be fascinating, but the playwright must decide which to include, which to leave out and how much dramatic licence to take with the characters in order to make the story work. Unfortunately, A Small and Quiet Light sticks too closely to the biography, becoming more a recounting of Inayat Khan's life than a drama with a clear focus beyond celebrating the achievements of its protagonist. The cast do a fine job of inhabiting a succession of characters, but too few are developed sufficiently to make them truly interesting. The various figures in Khan's life in Paris during the war become difficult to distinguish, and none of her personal relationships is given much depth or complexity. We are shown the influence of her father's Sufi teachings and Indian patriotism, but her motivations seem sketched in and insufficiently explored. We need to know more about what drives her, as well as her strengths and weaknesses. Even the complex relationship with her interrogator, Vogt, remains oddly superficial. Despite the many dramatic events of her life, this ultimately becomes more like hagiography than drama. We are largely shut out of Khan's emotional and philosophical development, leaving the central character curiously remote. Priyanga Burford gives a strong performance as Khan, while the rest of the cast handle their multiple roles with assurance. Too often, however, the dialogue seems declaimed rather than spoken. It is almost intoned, with odd pauses that disrupt the rhythm and cadence of natural speech. Such concerns aside, A Small and Quiet Light remains a valuable introduction to a remarkable historical figure whose courage, conviction and contribution deserve to be remembered and celebrated.
Rated: ★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Marc Brenner
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