My English Persian Kitchen @ Traverse Theatre
My English Persian Kitchen is a one-woman play which places Iranian food and one woman's personal stories centre stage
When Soho Theatre's Creative Director, David Luff, read an article in The Guardian about Iranian Atoosa Sephr, who fled domestic violence, moved to gloomy London, and wrote a book about Persian cuisine, he proposed creating a play to Irish-Palestinian playwright Hannah Khalil. Soon, Khalil's husband, director Chris White, was hooked as well, and so My English Persian Kitchen came to life.
Starring Isabella Nefar, this one-woman play begins with the protagonist standing in front of a kitchen island, chopping fresh herbs and onions. Throughout the performance, she prepares ash-reshteh, a fragrant Persian noodle and herb soup.
Just when everything is flowing and the dish is coming together, a hanging lamp flickers, and the character hears a voice speaking in Farsi. This voice transforms and possesses her, until she exorcises it by repeating the word: “Focus.”
The kitchen serves as both a sanctuary and a source of demonic trauma triggers. One of the most poignant moments occurs when the protagonist handles a knife and tells herself to be careful, fiercely battling the haunting memories of her abuse. The knife wants to cause harm, while words dissuade it. Eerily lit drawers and food cans add genuinely unsettling touches. At one point, the protagonist juggles onion caramelization, and flashbacks of her abuse with acrobatic skill, unintentionally creating a moment of dark humour.
The constant dipping in and out of traumatic scenes is clearly deliberate, but feels a bit overused, dispelling the tension and somewhat detracting from the emotional impact. For such a personal and culturally specific experience, it’s also intriguing that a play dealing with such profound personal trauma wasn't co-authored by the person who lived the story, despite her being a writer.
Cooking ultimately symbolizes the protagonist’s capacity for nourishment, self-preservation and a deep connection to Iran. It also embodies the essence of motherland and the act of building community. This positive dynamic unfolds as the initially distrustful London neighbours, who used to only approach the new resident to complain about noise, begin to approach her with curiosity instead of suspicion, leading to heart-warming alchemy through sharing deliciously hearty Persian food.
My English Persian Kitchen, Traverse Theatre (Traverse 2), until 25 Aug, various times, £15.75-22.75