Atoosa Sepehr and Hannah Khalil’s English Persian Kitchen

Food glorious food: not only does it sustain and nourish us as individuals, it brings together communities, crosses borders and merges cultures. When Atoosa Sepehr fled an abusive marriage in Iran, she found herself alone and lonely in London. And then she started cooking. The Persian dishes she created providing an anchor to the home she missed and forging friendships in the one she was creating. 

In My English Persian Kitchen, Atoosa’s story is brought to the stage by playwright Hannah Khalil. But unlike most theatre, it’s not just food for thought, it’s also food for faces: during the one-woman show, actress Isabella Nefar cooks ãsh, a Persian noodle and herb soup, hugely popular in Iran – and then she shares the dish with the audience. 

Mick caught up with Atoosa and Hannah to talk about the power and joy of food, finding community, and how the hell you fit a recipe into a play.

My English Persian Kitchen is on at Soho Theatre from September 30 to October 11, before travelling to Bristol, Dublin and Belfast. 

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