Review: a small and quiet light (Minerva Theatre / Orange Tree Theatre)

Review by Hywel Farrow-Wilton

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

A problem I often find with shows about historical figures is you know how they’re going to end. Often, the trick is to find the interesting story that happens before their death and to find complexity in the well-spun yarns of history. a small and quiet light tells the fascinating story of Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan, a story I was slightly familiar with thanks to her brief inclusion in an episode of Doctor Who several years ago, but one that by rights I should have known a lot sooner. The show is served greatly by the depth and intrigue of the person’s life it is adapting, and with slick direction and design it is a joy to watch even if it slightly doesn’t quite land the lasting emotional punch on the audience I had hoped for.

a small and quiet light is Chichester Festival Theatre’s fourth world premiere at the Minerva Theatre this year, with this show a co-production with London’s Orange Tree Theatre. As with the previous shows that have played in the Minerva this Summer, a small and quiet light is quite the tonal juxtaposition to their summer musical My Fair Lady currently playing in the Festival Theatre (Don’t expect any cockney knees-up musical numbers in this show). However, the shows are surprisingly linked in their exploration of young women stepping out of traditional societal roles to better themselves socially (in Eliza Doolittle’s case) or to do their part in fighting fascism (as in Noor's case). 

The play tells a fictionalised version of the true story of Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan, one of the first women to join the SOE during the Second World War and the first female wireless operator dropped into Nazi-occupied France to help the French resistance fight back against their oppressors. It opens with Noor being interrogated by Gestapo officer Vogt after being captured by Nazi forces in Paris before flashing backwards to glimpses from Noor’s past with her parents, other family members and fellow SOE operatives. The show is constantly underscored with live piano music, creating a wistful and nostalgic atmosphere which often accompanies old war stories. Thankfully, it doesn’t over-sentimentalise the harsh reality of her situation, but equally the soft, classical piano music does slightly highlight the lack of dramatic tension within the show. 

The script by Stephanie Street, rightly focuses deeply on Noor, her anxieties, the pressure she puts herself under and how her direct relationships with her family and colleagues impact her decisions. In this respect, a small and quiet light works as a great biography of her life during the war, especially her capture, interrogation and eventual execution. The final scenes in which they address her death are handled extremely well, and the accounts of what became of her are devastating to hear. What I felt was missing that would have made me more connected to her story on an emotional level would have been a better sense of the stakes that were at play. The characters talk a bit about the terror of being captured by the Nazis, but we are never shown what that means. Even the Nazi characters portrayed in the show often felt rather unintimidating, so there wasn’t much of a sense of threat other than the contextual knowledge I already knew of the war. This contributed to the slight lack of dramatic tension, which could have drawn me further into the show on an emotional level and elevated the show to a place where I could have called it exceptional. 

Elin Schofield’s direction centres on the loneliness and vulnerability Noor feels in her work. The theatre is configured in-the-round, which gives the feeling that Noor is surrounded by eyes watching from every corner and shadow. Additionally, the decision to have a cast made up entirely of women really enabled the politics of a uniquely female story to flourish in a way that would have been muddied with having male characters played by men. So much of the show is set in confined spaces with lots of square areas being created, not least in the interrogation room, which takes centre stage underneath a huge square lighting rig. Designer Anna Yates’ set juxtaposes the claustrophobia with the bright colours and abstract patterns of the stage floor around the central interrogation area, showing the colour and vibrancy of the free world outside of the world of spying and war.

Leading the cast as Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan is Priyanga Burford, who captures Noor's drive, excitement and anxieties in one beautiful performance. She particularly shines during one of the final scenes where she breaks the fourth wall and speaks to the audience about the end of Noor’s story in a truly heartfelt moment. Playing opposite her is Caoilfhionn Dunne as Vogt, the Gestapo officer who interrogates Noor. Her performance is quite unlike any other characterisation of Nazi officers that I have seen; she plays a quiet confidence without intimidation, which gives the impression that the character is genuinely earnestly interested in Noor and keeping her alive. It’s different and reasonably effective but sacrifices any evil or villainy to achieve it.

The remaining cast members flesh out the rest of the characters as they multi-role their way through the show, bringing to life figures from Noor’s family, the French Resistance and the SOE. A standout among a great cast is Amanda Hadingue, who slickly moves between her roles as Noor’s mum Amma, SOE officer Wesselow and others. Paksie Vernon also shone as Noor’s father Abba, Jepson and Elisabeth. She has a fantastic ability to morph between playing commanding and authoritative roles and then switch to sympathetic, more emotional characters. Both actors and the rest of the cast were excellent in bringing the life around Noor to the stage, creating characters that feel real and not stereotypical.  

Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan’s story should be national treasure status. She has a blue plaque on her home in London, a bust in Gordon Square Gardens and even a commemorative stamp as part of the Royal Mail’s ‘remarkable lives’ set, yet her exceptional bravery and courage are not widely known. I hope the success of this show changes that and more people come to learn of her extraordinary life. I think, being the writer she was, she would have liked her life immortalised in a play, especially one as good as this. Combining a vibrant yet confining set, great acting and an incredible real-life story, hopefully this show will be able to spread Noor’s story far and wide for the rest of the world to see. 

a small and quiet light plays at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester until 12^th September 2026. Tickets from https://www.cft.org.uk/events/a-small-and-quiet-light

It then plays at the Orange Tree Theatre from 21^st September until 24^th October 2026. Tickets from https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/a-small-and-quiet-light/

Photos by Marc Brenner