By Connie Cooper
This drama surrounds a women’s quest to start again, discovering her love for cooking food from her home country, Persia. Coming to Edinburgh Fringe Festival from 1st-25th of August. The show is then transferring to Soho from 16th September- 5th October.
After she is forced to flee her home, the heroine finds herself in an unfamiliar place. Searching for what she is missing, she begins recreating dishes of her childhood homeland, discovering a new recipe for life.
Inspired by the true story of best-selling cookery book author Atoosa Sephr, this timely play places community, identity, and belonging at its very heart.
Atoosa’s book From a Persian Kitchen contains authentic recipes and fabulous flavours from Iran.
“A dream of a cookery book. Sumptuous, tempting with quite beautiful photography.”-Irish Examiner
Atoosa Sepehr said: “I didn’t realise how much I love cooking and food until I came to this country. The way that smells and taste can simply transport you to a different time and place. “
“An important theme in the play for me is the idea that even in our lowest moments life sometimes offers a way out, an opportunity to learn and grow and ultimately to redefine who we are as individuals.”
“Culture truly has no borders and when we migrate to a new country, we take with us aspects of our homeland that can contribute to a wonderfully rich multi-cultural society. I hope audiences will find this story an uplifting and empowering one.”
Exploring the fabulous flavours of Persia, Isabella Nefar’s solo performance features cooking and sharing a much-loved Persian dish, Ash-E Reshteh.
Playwright Hannah Khalil says: “At first, I wasn’t sure I was the right person to turn this story into a play, but after talking to Atoosa I realised it’s not a story about Iran, but one about what it is to start again. What it is to try and build a community in a new place from scratch. And that’s the story of my mum and me. That’s a story I understand. I love cooking the food of my Palestinian heritage as a way of connecting to my roots in the same way Atoosa does. We have that in common too. I can’t wait for audiences to taste Atoosa’s story too.”
Be sure to grab your ticket for My English Persian Kitchen, to get your own taste of Persia.
You might also enjoy reading Women Storming the Stage at Edinburgh Fringe.
