Pepper and Honey – Birmingham REP

Writer: Kristina Gavran

Director: Tilly Branson

Whoever thought of putting pepper in biscuits? Well, that’s exactly what the Croatian Paprenjaci, traditionally cooked before Christmas and stored in an airtight container for consumption throughout the Christmas season, are – biscuits made with pepper and honey, the more pepper and the longer they are left before eating, the better. They have sweetness, but also some fire from the pepper, reflecting the experiences of those who feel they need to move large distances to improve their lives and of those left behind.

Ana has been in the UK for 14 years and is now in her seventh rented apartment, above Mrs Robertson’s patisserie. She came to the UK to learn the art of baking and is now the patisserie’s master baker. Her grandmother, also called Ana, or Bako Ana (Bako is Croatian for grandmother), is still in Croatia, on the island where the family has always lived.

In Pepper and Honey from the Notnow Collective, we learn of the two women’s stories. Bako Ana’s husband, like many men on the island, was a sailor and away for much of the time. She baked him pepper biscuits and sent them in tins to ensure he came home, and he did – after many tins had been sent. Now, he has passed on, and Bako Ana lives alone with her memories, sending tins of biscuits to Ana with the same hope. Ana feels as if she has finally found her place, the place she wants to settle down, and when the opportunity arises to buy the patisserie from Mrs Robertson, it sets off an inter-generational standoff and debate on what home really means.

Pepper and Honey feels totally authentic; the characters are believable and sympathetic. This is due in large part to the words of Kristina Gavran and the performance of Tina Hofman, both Croatian themselves. Under the direction of Tilly Branson, Hofman lives and breathes both Anas. While they are differentiated by minor costume tweaks – an apron, or maybe a headscarf – there is never any doubt as to by whom we’re being addressed. The transformations between the younger, upright Ana and the bent, playful Bako Ana are a joy to watch, as Hofman transitions smoothly from one to the other. Each Ana even takes her own curtain call and bow, and it’s totally natural.

At its centre, Pepper and Honey examines the different experiences and expectations of these two women and their reactions. There’s a strong message here about the meaning of home and fitting in, and it’s delivered with skill: the pepper, if you will. The honey is in the abundance of gentle humour that underpins each woman’s outlook, even when they are at loggerheads. It’s a tightrope, but one that the company never falters in crossing.

Supporting the performance is the detailed, almost rustic, set from David Hately, which serves to place us both in the UK and Croatia, the travels of Bako Ana’s husband and of Ana symbolised in the inclusion of the hull of a small boat, the sail of which occasionally carries surtitles projected upon it.

Pepper and Honey is a quietly powerful, beautifully performed piece. Rich in authenticity and underpinned by thoughtful direction and evocative design, it lingers in the memory offering both sweetness and a subtle, lasting bite.

Runs until 28 March 2026