★★★★½
What does it cost to be understood? That’s the driving question behind Outhouse Theatre Co’s production of English, presented with Seymour Centre in Sydney. And as is often the case in a play about learning language, it is the silences, the gaps between what is known and unknown, that speak the loudest.
Written by Sanaz Toossi, English premiered in the United States to widespread acclaim, culminating in the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Set in Iran in 2008, the play has since travelled internationally, resonating with audiences for its clever exploration of language and identity.
In a classroom in Karaj, four adult students prepare for an English proficiency exam under the guidance of their teacher, Marjan. Over six weeks, each character grapples with what it means to adopt a new language – one that promises opportunity, but costs something personal.
As Marjan, Nicole Chamoun performs a masterclass in restraint. She holds the room with a careful authority, her character’s own complicated relationship with English simmering just beneath the surface.
Setareh Naghoni brings a feisty intelligence to Elham, capturing the frustration of someone who feels caught between two worlds. Neveen Hanna’s Roya offers a gentle warmth.
Minerva Khodabande delivers a beautiful performance as Goli, full of humour and tenderness. Pedram Biazar rounds out the ensemble with a grounded, pensive Omid.
Much like Eureka Day produced by Outhouse last year, and again under the direction of Craig Baldwin, this play is, at times, strikingly funny. Awkward mispronunciations, linguistic misunderstandings, and classroom dynamics are rendered with a keen comedic eye.
But beneath that, there is always an undercurrent communicating to us that language carries a heavy emotional weight.
Soham Apte’s classroom set is precise and distinct. Lighting by Spencer Herd subtly shifts the emotional temperature of each scene. Rita Naidu’s costumes ground the characters in their own worlds, while music composition by Hamed Sadeghi gently underscores the lived-in atmosphere.
Much of the play is spoken in English, but the characters are, within the world of the play, speaking Farsi. This tension, between what we hear and what is “actually” being said, creates a fascinating theatrical contract with the audience. It’s a constant reminder that language isn’t just a tool, it’s a territory we inhabit.
English is a funny, precise, and profound triumph. It invites you to lean in, to listen more carefully, and to consider the invisible negotiations that happen every time someone speaks.
See it, not just for its intelligence or its performances, but for the way it gently, insistently asks: who are we, when we are no longer speaking in our own voice? What does it cost to make ourselves understood?
English is presented by Outhouse Theatre Co and Seymour Centre and runs to 2 May at the Reginald Theatre. Seymour Centre, cnr City Road and Cleveland Street Chippendale NSW 2008.
Tickets are available here!
Website: https://www.seymourcentre.com/event/english/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/outhousetheatreco/
Photo credits: Richard Farland
