So, what’s home? As the era of post- Brexit Britain looms large, that question has never been more pertinent… That’s the question Ana, a young Croatian woman, poses as she settles in the UK.
Pepper and Honey is Notnow Collective’s freshest bun in the oven (pun intended!). We have been awarded Arts Council‘s funding for R&D, which is culminating in the preview show at Derby Theatre on 30th March 2019. Notnow is taking a bit of a turn with this show: we are about to start creating with Rural Touring in mind, and extending our parent-friendly set-up as we pilot a FREE creche alongside the show for older kids.
Written by a Croatian playwright Kristina Gavran and performed by a Croatian actor Tina Hofman, Pepper and Honey is a poignant, subtle and timely play about the journey of change, cultural differences, trying not to feel like a foreigner in your adopted country and the conflict between upholding the traditions of the ‘old country’ and embracing those of the new.
We have a fantastic rural touring expert and a wonderful director Tilly Branson joining us on this project, as well as Eleanor Field as a designer, Jovana Backovic as a composer, Kitty Randle as movement director and James Stokes as lighting designer. Jo McLeish will be leading our marketing campaign, and Corinne Salisbury will be looking after tour booking.
Ana has been on a journey. Croatian born, she’s arrived in the UK, determined to make it home. As she focuses on life in this new land, she is haunted by the voice of her Grandma – calling for her to stay true to national identity and yearning for Ana to come home. But what is now ‘home’ to Ana? A play of love, loss, culture, heritage and new beginnings.
The story is told through the process of making paprenjaci (Croatian traditional pepper biscuits). Invented in the Renaissance, paprenjaci are a blend of local ingredients (honey, walnuts and olive oil) and spices from “discovered” continents (clove, cardamom and black pepper). The biscuits are made in front of (and with the help of) the audience, and the spicy-sweet story is woven throughout using text, physical theatre and baking.
BOOK TICKETS:
Online: https://www.derbytheatre.co.uk/pepper-and-honey
Box Office 01332 59 39 39
Creative team:
Written by- Kristina Gavran
Directed by- Tilly Branson
Designed by- Eleanor Field
Performed by- Tina Hofman
Composer and Sound Designer- Jovana Backovic
Lighting Designer – James Stokes
Movement Director – Kitty Randle
Graphic Design – Fernando
PR and Marketing – Jo McLeish
We’ve shown our earliest ideas at Scratch That Itch at Derby Theatre, Pulse Festival’s Scratch Day, York Theatre Royal, Arc Stockton, and new a part of Camden People’s Theatre’s No Direction Home Festival