Duke & Roya is named for its intriguing central characters: internationally famous American hip-hop star Duke and high-level Afghan interpreter Roya.  Their first meeting is at the Kabul’s Bagram Air Base in 2017. In almost unbelievable haste – – witty, smart, and charming Duke is able to persuade Roya to travel off-base with him; she dresses as a boy—as she did growing up, which afforded her an education and freedom to do things like leaving the house alone—but her disguise isn’t enough to shield them from everyday violence. A cup of tea quickly turns into an international incident, involving a suicide bomber, military police and both of their parents—Roya’s sharp, broad-minded interpreter father, Sayeed who has worked at Bagram for 14 years, and Duke’s mother, Desiree (the dazzling Noma Dumezweni who is the best thing in this show!)  a brilliant, well-connected senior VP at World Bank in the United Arab Emirates.  Thus we have two plots – one a love affair and two an international incident that must be resolved.

I cannot remember a play that I so disliked the first act and was so immediately charmed and invested in the second act.  I disliked almost everything in the first act.  I found the flirting and game playing to be so trite and predictable.  The dialogue was bland.  The characters were flat and the plot to escape the camp for a bit of city action to be an uninteresting adventure – even though it ended with big boom.  I was just so tempted to leave

But I AM SO GLAD I STAYED.  Act 2 did not just get better it got GREAT. The dialogue got better; the acting got better; the plot got better – – – you get the idea.  NEVER have I seen a play do such a 180 after the first act!  I really checked the program to make sure we had not switched to a new playwright.  There one huge surprise in Act 2 that you will never see coming and was the biggest audience response of the evening.  I don’t advise this, but if you are a few minutes late to this show you won’t miss much, but you are in for a real treat in Act 2