Wish You Were Here

It’s 1978 and protests against the Shah have become a daily event in Iran. In a suburban corner a group of close friends plan weddings, trade inappropriate jokes and lead something like normal lives despite what’s happening on the streets. Playful, intimate and surprisingly naughty, these girlfriends are completely unfiltered behind closed doors. But as the situation worsens, each one must wrestle with whether to emigrate and make new lives, or face an uncertain future at home. What sort of Iran is just over the horizon? This is a gem of a play from the Pulitzer Prize-winner Sanaz Toossi. The five characters are earthy, sharp, glamorous, silly. But there’s a powerful set of messages inside the banter, about those that stay, those that choose to go, and those who never had a choice. It’s a great human story and it’s an entertaining night in the theatre. Eamon