REVIEWS
“Here, the migrant effort to communicate with a host country-raised generation becomes a touching metaphor for the struggle between all parents and children towards reconciliation and understanding”
The Observer on Handful of Henna
“This heartwarming tale provides an inspiring look at cross-cultural differences and gives an atmospheric insight into the lives of a mother and daughter as they bond through sharing memories. This play will provide laughter and enjoyment with a touch of soul searching thrown in. Five Stars”
The Public Reviews on Handful of Henna
“a rich and evocative tale that lyrically conveys the joys of childhood and contrasts them with the horrors.  Four Stars”
Whatsonstage.com on Handful of Henna

Written by Rani Moorthy
Director: Karen Simpson
Designer: Rachna Jadhav
Lighting designer: Jake Taylor
Music&Soundscape: Jon Nicholls

An evocative and enchanting story of homecoming, adventure, fear and joy for a girl and her mother.

For the first time since she was a girl, Saheeda is returning to her family village for a wedding. She takes along her teenage daughter Nasreen who is intensely annoyed at being away from her friends in England. For Nasreen this is a place of mixed messages. A land that is part eulogized, but never fully spoken about. Where money is sent back to, but never visited. Where letters sent across the globe forge few bonds across the generations.

Handful of Henna was originally commissioned and produced by Sheffield Crucible as part of the city’s Children’s Festival. Written as a response to community workshops with a mixed age group of Muslim women, the play received two performances at the Lyric, Crucible in June 2006, with a cast of two professional actors and a chorus drawn from the Asian community.

Cast

Bharti Patel
Rochi Rampal
Sohm Kapila
Nimmi Harasgama

Tours

UK Spring tour 2010

Spring 2011: Italian translation of the play by Margaret Rose and Christina Marinetti, and script-in–hand performance by Teatro I in Milan.