Sanaz Toossi premiered two dramas in the US in 2022. English, is about friends in an Iranian classroom, that won the Pulitzer prize. But her recent play, Wish You Were Here, seems like the real love letter to friendship by the American Iranian playwright.
Directed by Sepy Baghaei, the drama begins in 1979, with the Iranian Revolution as the backdrop, and plays out over the years of the Islamic Republic until 1991.
The play is about five friends who unite for Salme’s (Emily Renée) wedding, in which their own stories are revealed. Shideh (Isabella Nefar) is the troubled one who dreams to become a doctor. Salme is the spiritual one fand close to Nazanin (Afsaneh Dehrouyeh), the troublesome of them. There is also Zari (Maryam Grace) and Rana (Juliette Motamed), the latter of whom is Jewish.
The sound design plays a big part in reflecting the passing of time, switching from Iranian pop music to radio broadcasts and air raid sirens, alongside the lighting, which goes from bridal brightness to candlelight during the Iraq/Iran war. The set is intimate which makes the audience feels more connected to the characters and empathetic.
The performances in this play builds up its subtle, often unspoken, emotional undertones. There is a great surging power to its end, with a big emotional payoff that is well worth the wait. These people are each other’s homes and it is through them that they find belonging.
Wish You Were Here is currently playing at The Gate Theatre until 23rd November.
Get your tickets here: https://www.gatetheatre.co.uk/wish-you-were-here-uk-premiere/tickets
WRITTEN BY: Nura Arooj
