Usually, pre-show interviews take place in a rehearsal room. But when I met author Atousa Sepeir and playwright Hannah Khalil, I met them in the kitchen. teeth Rehearsal room for new play, My English Persian CuisineSo, the solo actress (Isabella Nefer) cooks Persian food, and we're going to try the recipe.
The whole project began 17 years ago, when Sefer was living alone in London, had yet to recover from escaping dire personal circumstances in Iran, and began craving a home-cooked meal.
“I had to leave behind everything I had worked for,” she recalls now. “I had to start all over again. I was 29 years old and I missed my family, and that's when I started cooking. I was surprised at how much comfort cooking brought me.”
But there was a problem: she had never learned to cook. Born in Iran and raised by liberal parents, she studied computer science, worked some highly demanding jobs, and eventually ran her own import-export company.
“I didn't want the kitchen to be seen as a woman's role,” she says. “I worked hard at my studies and at my job, and I wanted to be an equal in society to men. So, [the recipes] I had no choice but to do it because I didn't know what I was doing! I had to call my mom, my grandmother, my aunts…”
As Sefer practiced her cooking, her neighbors noticed the delicious aromas wafting from her kitchen, so she started sharing her dishes with them, expanding her repertoire, taking notes, and eventually realizing she had enough dishes to write a recipe book.
“In Iran, food is shared,” she explains. “Even if you're on the street, if someone is eating, everyone shares. So I was texting my neighbours, 'I made this, can I have it?'”
“I also wanted people to know more about another side of Iran: the people, the sharing and the food. Because we hear so much about Iran, but no one talks about how warm and kind the people are. And the recipes are made with love. I spent hours trying to get the recipes right, the ones that have been passed down for generations.”
That hospitality will be extended to audiences starting next week, when Khalil's play is inspired by Sepere's experiences and her beautifully illustrated cookbook. From the Persian kitchenwhich premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (and will then play at London's Soho Theatre), sees an unnamed character inspired by Sefer tell a tale of escape and second-hand life whilst cooking a meal.
For Khalil, the idea of cooking throughout the show was a “no brainer.” “Food is at the heart of this story,” says the playwright, whose father is Palestinian and mother is Irish. “And food knows no language boundaries. Food is a great way to bring people together.”
As the two women talk, they chop parsley, dill, chives, spinach, mint, garlic and onions for the dish. Ash-e-ReshtehNefer cooks up a fragrant Persian noodle and herb soup during the show, a glass of red-gold liquid containing saffron, the main ingredient, on his worktable. Together, Sefer and Khalil create a harmonious dish with ease, one they've tried many times since coming up with the idea.
we, Ash-e-ReshtehIt was the last meal Sefer had in Iran before her husband rushed to the airport to get his passport suspended, so the meal has great personal meaning, but it's also a traditional meal eaten almost everywhere in Iran.
“Everywhere you go, people eat it on the street, at home, on special occasions, at New Year's,” Sefer said. “It's one of those iconic dishes. It's a homely, heartwarming dish.”
But bringing herbs and spices into the mix can be a challenge: with the audience in mind, the dish had to be nut- and meat-free, and as not all ingredients are easily available in the UK, a feta cheese and sour cream blend fills the role. Kashk (a creamy, fermented, sour yogurt served as a garnish) — a perfect addition to a theatrical production.
Most importantly, every action — chopping, boiling, frying — must be coordinated with the script so that the most emotional moments aren't lost in the frenzy at the chopping board and the key cooking points aren't undermined. “If there's too much talking, it starts to burn,” Khalil says wryly.
Writing the screenplay was also a tricky balancing act, Khalil says: “I'm trying to respect Atusa's story, but this is not Atusa, this is a fictional character based on her…”[in the play]”She could have come from anywhere.” The young woman onstage is partly representative of the many women who have had to flee toxic relationships. She's also a reminder that there are flesh-and-blood people behind the immigration statistics.
“To me, this story isn't about Iran,” Khalil says, “it's about what it means to come to this country and start over.”
The soup is already boiling, and the finely chopped onions that accompany it are sizzling. The aroma is delicious and very distracting. Is Khalil worried that what he is saying will be drowned out by the fried onions? “Isabella is a great actress,” she replies, smiling.
My English Persian Cuisine This year's Edinburgh Fringe offers thought-provoking History of Fortune CookiesAt Summerhall, Shawn Wai Keung will be baking cookies live, and both shows will join the noble tradition of cooking on stage. Skylight One character makes an entire bowl of spaghetti bolognese. Hot Wing King The National Theatre is currently testing audience patience with a dish of spicy chicken wings.
Food on stage emphasizes the live and immediate nature of theatre. It can also have a strong symbolic value. Some voices (1994) ended with a scene of the chef teaching his younger brother how to make an omelette, as a touching act of reconciliation. (R) Pain (2022), French artist JD Brusset baked baguettes which he shared with the audience at the end.
There is a natural affinity between the ancient ritual of breaking bread together and the communal experience at the heart of theatre. My English Persian Cuisinewhich ties into the theme of the play: “It's about community,” Khalil says. “What is community? Is it about your heritage? What is it about?”
In the kitchen, Ash Finished. Seper pours it into a bowl and Kashkfried onions, fried mint and saffron create a swirl of colors, textures and flavors that match the aroma. We sit together, as people have done for thousands of years, to savor this delicious, hearty dish.
Seper, now a nutritionist, says the play is about hope and starting over. “Starting over is very important. This is not just about Iran, it's about everyone.”
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 1-25 August, traverse; Soho Theatre, London, 16 September – 5 October, Soho TheatreEdinburgh Festival Fringe 2nd – 26th August edfringe.comFrom the Persian Kitchen is published by Robinson
Be the first to check out the latest news. Follow FTWeekend Instagram and XSubscribe to our podcast Life and art Wherever you listen
