“Out of Sorts” is a deeply moving and complex drama that explores the double life of Zara, a young British-Arab millennial navigating her dual identities. With parallel scenes depicting her trendy flat-share and traditional family home, the play delves into themes of race, belonging, and the generational divide within immigrant families. The play left me moved by each character’s humanity despite their flaws and hypocrisies – this is a painfully real story of imperfect people, faced with difficult choices – not a fairytale.
“Out of Sorts,” written by Danusia Samal and directed by Özlem Taş, tells the story of Zara, a young Kurdish woman living in London. She works at a law firm and shares an apartment with her best friend, who is now also her boss. Zara hides her cultural background and struggles with the pressures from both her Kurdish family and her English life. The first act sets up Zara’s challenges well, but the second act doesn’t quite deliver the deeper character development it promises. Despite this, the play does a good job of highlighting the complex issues of cultural identity and family expectations.
Set Design
The set of “Out of Sorts” is simple but symbolic, showing two different homes with contrasting furniture – a traditionally decorated council flat vs a modern apartment kitchen that features some vegan ingredients. A split sofa in the middle represents Zara’s divided life (and provides her with the space to rest as the play closes), and the catwalk in the middle serves as a space for Zara’s particularly emotional moments. I quite liked the use of two clocks to mark time passing, but as this concept was dropped midway through the play, leaving the clocks stuck, it just became a bit frustrating to look at.
I was also thinking, that while the set effectively shows Zara’s two worlds, a more subtle approach could have made it even better, so there’s some space for improvement there.
Nassima Bouchenak as Zara
Nassima Bouchenak’s performance as Zara is intriguing. Her character is hard to understand for most of the show because she hides her real problems and motivations from everyone, including the audience. By the interval, I found Zara unlikeable and frustrating since she doesn’t take responsibility for her actions and just lets situations control her.
I have to admit – this comment might have been influenced by my recent viewing of “We Are Lady Parts” (a Channel 4 show about young Muslim girls who form a punk band—highly recommended), which was filled with powerful, action-oriented characters – so it’s possible my mindset was just set at a different level.
The second act finally explains Zara’s actions and issues better, but still lacks the character development I hoped for. However, Bouchenak’s performance shines in vulnerable moments, showing the weight of issues like being the first university graduate in her family.
Nadine Gharzeddine as Zara’s Mother
Surprisingly, the most inspiring and empowering monologue in the show came not from Zara, but from her mom. Her well-written life story highlights how women from refugee or Muslim families are seen in such a limited way, and it hit me straight in the heart. Nadine Gharzeddine’s beautiful, touching delivery radiates power, kindness, and personality, making me feel deeply emotional. Gharzeddine’s heartfelt performance adds deep emotional resonance to the story and creates a warm and smart portrayal of a mother and a woman.
Trina Bhattacharya as Fatma
Trina Bhattacharya was excellent as Fatma, Zara’s sister, bringing humour and reality to the play. Fatma, a lively and relatable character, deals with the responsibilities of being an immigrant’s child every day. Bhattacharya’s energetic and sarcastic portrayal was spot-on, especially in a fiery rap that critiques the refugees and immigrants’ place in modern English society. Her performance was both entertaining and thought-provoking.
Lily Walters as Alice
Lily Walters plays Alice, Zara’s flatmate and boss, with a convincing mix of professionalism and emotional complexity. Alice’s struggle to balance her work and personal relationship with Zara, while maintaining her relationship with her boyfriend, is portrayed with nuance. Despite some over-the-top scenes (there’s even a food/ice cube fight between Alice and Zara), Walters makes them feel natural and almost improvised.
Out of Sorts – To Sum Up…
If you’re around north London in the next two weeks and are keen to explore some intriguing, high-quality fringe production, “Out of Sorts” would be a great choice. Whether you’re an immigrant, a refugee, or just a person completely overwhelmed by the crazy London lifestyle and can’t find a place for yourself, you will find this show very real and relatable. Post-show discussions with friends and family are guaranteed!
All show’s photography shot by Ros Pau
Tower Theatre, Stoke Newington
5-15 June 2024
Cast
Hüseyin : Şükrü Demir
Leyla : Nadine Gharzeddine
Zara : Nassima Bouchenak
Fatma : Trina Bhattacharya
Alice : Lily Walters
Anthony : Cedric Dumornay
Production Team
Director : Özlem Taş
Set Design : Millie Weston & Freya Alexander
Costume Design : Poppy Hill and Lucy White
Lighting Design : Steven Cox
Music and Sound Design : Matthew Ibbotson
Associate Director : Rosie Barwick
Stage Manager : Patrice North
Assistant Director : Sarah Assaf
ASMs: Olga Walkowska, Trinidad Prieto
Lighting Operator : Steven Cox, Rosie Barwick, Freya Alexander or Millie Weston
Sound Operator : Matthew Ibbotson, Freya Alexander or Anna Kidd
1 COMMENT
Hasan
2 years agoVery good very exciting