Grappling with learning English as a foreign language, four adult classmates realise that there is more to their lives than can ever be uttered through language.
‘In this room, we are native speakers. We think in English. We laugh in English. Our inhales, our exhales - we fill our lungs in English.’
A classroom in Iran. Four adult classmates grapple with learning English as a foreign language. As they attempt to perfect their accents, pronunciation and vocabulary, they realise that there is more to their lives than can ever be uttered through language.
This comic and deeply moving play by Sanaz Toossi won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2023.
Its European premiere took place at The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon in 2024. English transferred to the Kiln Theatre, London, in 2024. It received an Olivier Award nomination for Best New Production in an Affiliate Theatre in 2025.
Director Diyan Zora's recent work includes Mom, How Did You Meet The Beatles? (Chichester) and Tom Fool (Orange Tree Theatre).
English was presented in association with Kiln Theatre, London, playing there and at The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon in summer 2024.
