My English Persian Review: Kitchen Main House - Soho Theatre

Based on an original story by Atoosa Sepehr, My English Persian Kitchen tells the story of one woman’s escape from an abusive marriage in Iran to starting a whole new life in London, using food as the vehicle for storytelling. This play returns after sell-out runs in 2024 at Soho Theatre and Traverse Theatre during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

We begin with our lead character (Isabella Nefar) remembering her childhood fondly, recalling the aromas of her mother’s kitchen. She shares she has finally cracked the recipe for Ash-E Reshteh – a Persian noodle and herb soup, and begins to cook live on stage for some guests that will soon be arriving. As each ingredient is added, we learn more about her life and how she came to be in England, particularly being a successful accountant in Iran with no time to learn to cook in her previous life.

Whilst this is a story of hope and female determination, the repeated undertone of emotional and physical abuse from her husband cannot be ignored. Nefar did an extraordinary job of conveying the fear of being trapped in an abusive marriage and being crushed by the expectations of a wife in Iranian society. She likened her relationship to that of Heathcliff and Cathy in Wuthering Heights – on the surface a wild, passionate romance, but with maturity of understanding, it was a dark and destructive. We were transported between Iran, London and an airport in a number of chaotic exchanges, and each time we switched, it was as if we were frozen in a spotlight with her. What fell a little short in this area was the words written to break that tension and bring the audience back to a safer space in her kitchen. Traumatic retellings were interrupted with a quick line that prompted most of the audience to awkwardly laugh – but supporting us to feel uncomfortable and not snap back to the recipe would have been more powerful. The intention of Nefar was not humour here, it was sadness.

One real highlight was the lighting and sound design (Marty Langthorne, Dan Balfour and Richard Boyd) to compliment a very simple, yet clever, kitchen set (Pip Terry). A high rise block of flats was beautifully depicted as a lit cheese grater for example, and the fridge acted as both an ingredient store and an oppressive space where the character could no longer breathe. The physical theatre elements (Jess Tucker Boyd) added to the uncertainty and whirl of emotions as the story progressed, but limited to the 70 minutes cooking time, I was left seeking the dramatic boiling point.

As the show ended we were invited to taste the dish that Nefar had been creating, and this reinforced a sense of how transformational food can be. It was absolutely delicious, and I couldn’t resist purchasing the recipe book to carry on my culinary exploration of Iranian food at home.

Let your thoughts marinade as you watch this story unfold, and savour this powerful journey told with unwavering hope. The parting sentiment being even if you have lost everything, community can be found and built anywhere you find yourself.

Support available: The free National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available 24 hours a day, all-year-round on: 0808 2000 247.

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Written by Rebecca Webber on behalf of The Theatre Flyer