Shortlisted for the Popcorn Writing Award 2024

Every time I’ve tried to make this dish there’s been something missing. It hasn’t been quite right. But now I think I know what it is. The missing piece. I’m almost sure. Today is the day. I’ll get this recipe right. I have to. For them.

What would you take if you were forced to leave home with no hope of returning? How would you make a fresh start somewhere completely new? This is the true story of one woman who loses everything.

Remembering the tastes and aromas of her mother’s kitchen with live cooking on stage, she recreates the dishes of her childhood and homeland, building a new life and community around food.

Written by award-winning Hannah Khalil from the story by Atoosa Sepehr, the life-affirming My English Persian Kitchen chronicles the journey of one woman’s quest to start again.

This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere Soho Theatre and Traverse Theatre co-production in 2024.