In a living room in 1978 Iran, five women prepare for a wedding. They laugh and smoke and talk over one another, but already there is a sense of something coming. As Shideh (Isabella Nefar) talks of medical school, she says she is trying to fast-track her diploma ‘in case’.
The ‘in case’, the threatening Iranian Revolution and Iran-Iraq War, provides the backdrop for Sanaz Toossi’s Wish You Were Here, as it tracks the lives of the five women through thirteen years. Over this time, bonds deepen and fracture as the women face the choice of whether to stay or attempt to leave the country.
The play exists in moments between the women, with every scene taking place in a living room (the playtext indicates that this is meant to represent different living rooms across the city, although there are limited context clues for this as the bulk of Tomás Palmer’s set remains the same throughout). These moments are intimate but not sugar-coated, capturing the good, the bad and the ugly of female friendships as well as the pressures which the women find themselves under.
While there are references throughout to the political turmoil which rages outside the living room (or rooms), it is often seen as a distraction from the more pressing dramas of who gets to be closest to the fan and whose marriage Salme (Emily Renée) should pray for next. The play is all the better for not sullying the narrative with excessive exposition and for showing the normal life that continues to exist even amidst upheaval.
Underscoring this, Toossi’s script flips from light-hearted banter (with an abundance of vulgar jokes which may at times stray into overkill) to poetic resonance with ease, while Sepy Baghaei lends fluid direction to the piece. The scene transitions are especially effective, with the move from the opening scene,where the friends prepare for Salme’s wedding, to the next, in which Zari (Maryam Grace) is the bride, a particular highlight.
The cast are universally strong, bringing instinctive humanity to their portrayals and also creating believable chemistry within the group. Each actress and each character has a specific and important role to play, but Afsaneh Dehrouyeh as Nazanin is a particular standout, and not only because her character is granted the most stage time. Nazanin is openly and unapologetically mean for much of the play, but Dehrouyeh is also able to strip back enough of this to provide a sympathetic and well-rounded portrayal.
An affecting and thought-provoking piece, Wish You Were Here provides an intimate look into female friendship and how the passage of time and events beyond our control can break apart bonds which once seemed indissoluble.
Wish You Were Here runs at the Gate Theatre until 23rd November. For more information and tickets, follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Richard Lakos
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