Stuff Happens

Stuff happens... And it's untidy, and freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.' The famous response of American Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to the looting of Baghdad at a press conference in 2003 provides the title for David Hare's play about the extraordinary process leading up to the invasion of Iraq. Stuff Happens premiered at the National Theatre, London, in 2004 and has subsequently been performed around the world. 'Stuff Happens may make you openly boo, hiss, cheer or even cry, but it will also remind you why this 2,500 year-old art form remains the best way for human beings to collectively experience and contemplate the effects of war.' Los Angeles Times 'A totally compelling play that ruthlessly exposes the dubious premises on which the Iraq war was fought... One comes out enriched, informed and moved by Hare's ability to turn recent politics into historical drama.' Guardian