My English Persian Kitchen – Soho Theatre, London

Writer: Hannah Khalil

Director: Chris White

Can the smells of a kitchen bring back the memories of a home lost forever?

In Hannah Khalil’s new play, My English Persian Kitchen, taste and smell come together to channel the story of one Iranian woman’s attempt to restart her life in London. A one-woman show directed by Chris White, this parable takes the audience through a sensory experience that connects cooking with home.

A young woman from Iran, played by Isabella Nefar, recounts her relationship with her family, her mother’s cooking and the connection she has to her country, all from the perspective of her new life in London. After fateful events only alluded to, she had to flee Iran to get away from her abusive husband, severing her links with her family in the process.

Throughout the piece, Nefar recounts the story, based upon the life of Iranian nutritionist Atoosa Sepehr, all the while cooking a Persian noodle soup live on stage. To say this is an inviting way to make the audience welcome in this world is an understatement.

The piece’s overall plot is strong, but certain choices for framing the narrative are a detriment to the emotional effectiveness of the plot. Nefar captures the audience’s attention well, holding them in her grasp, but her ability to evoke the impact that the story entails is severely lacking.

The play’s strength is its unique twist on immersion. The pungent smell of cooking onions, the scent of chopped saffron and the sound of water draining from lentils all combine to make your mouth water. The care with which the ingredients are handled conveys a great degree of importance for not only what we eat but how we prepare it, just as we do with our relationships.

All in all, My English Persian Kitchen is a play with a strong premise and wholly original stagecraft, but is let down by the performance and the framework of its plot.

Runs until 5 October 2024