Turkish journalist Eve (Ganze Şanli), Tunisian dancer Amira (Antonia Salib), and Egyptian academic Maryam (Livia Arditti) meet on a Tunisian rooftop to watch a wedding. The Arab Spring looms in the background as they discuss politics and womanhood in the Middle East, and a friendship soon develops. Then they catch the eye of the enigmatic Madam Lilla (Nicole Ansari-Cox), a meeting which will set their lives on a trajectory which none of them can predict.
Leyla Nazli’s adaptation of Ece Temelkuran’s novel Women Who Blow On Knots unfolds gradually at first, with it difficult for much of the first act to grasp where the characters or the story are heading. Then, once the plot does begin to move it does so at breakneck speed, with the characters embarking on a road trip encompassing a plethora of both countries and dramatic events.
All of this means that the story can be hard to follow, and also makes it difficult for the audience to fully absorb some of the more hard-hitting moments on the piece. Despite the lack of obvious direction early on, the piece shines most in these unfocused interactions between the characters and in its political commentary, neither of which are given sufficient development in the second half of the play.
There are strong performances throughout the cast, with Antonia Salib a particular highlight as Amira. Mercedes Assad, Öncel Camcı and Sara Diab, who make up the ensemble, provide strong support to the main cast, with the second act in particular requiring them to quickly switch between characters as the plot moves on at a fast pace.
Among the creative team, Oğuz Kaplangı’s sound design is particularly worthy of note, helping to set the scene in a production in which that scene rapidly changes. Neil Irish’s set design provides a simple nod to North Africa and the Middle East, with sand and pieces of ancient column scattered about, and this with the addition of a few set pieces being carried on and off also deals well with the production’s changing setting. The use of a turntable is also a clever way to bring movement into the piece during the road trip portion, as well as helping to manage the challenge of sightlines within the Arcola Theatre.
Women Who Blow On Knots is an ambitious and compelling adaptation with some strong performances, but challenges with pacing and a sometimes confused narrative make it difficult to fully connect with the piece.
Women Who Blow On Knots runs at the Arcola Theatre until 23rd November. For more information and tickets, follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Kate Hockenhull
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