Mehndi Night

A new play for the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe

MEHNDI NIGHT “Culture is not a pick and mix. Life is not a buffet. It is a samosa. Every ingredient in harmony with every other. Then carefully wrapped and sealed from prying eyes.” At a traditional Bengali celebration the night before a wedding, the women of the community gather to sing, dance and bless the bride-to-be. But when an uninvited guest turns up bringing painful memories from the past, everyone present is forced to confront their own fears, prejudices and longings. An extraordinary insight into a community all too often overlooked by British theatre, MEHNDI NIGHT puts third generation Bengali women centre stage and reveals the joy and the pain of a 21st century cross-cultural identity. MEHNDI NIGHT was the result of a pioneering collaboration between Fin Kennedy, director Julia Voce, and the girls of Mulberry School, E1. It featured blistering performances from its all female ensemble of Bengali teenagers. Tipped by Guardian theatre critic Lyn Gardner as one of the highlights of the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe, MEHNDI NIGHT was nominated for an Amnesty International and Big Issue in Scotland Freedom of Expression Award for its story about the rights of women to cultural expression. “A vivid, 40-minute snapshot of Bengali life … performed with such glee and openness that you cannot help falling for its slight but undoubted charm … combines a poetic sensibility with clear-eyed realism. A small pleasure.” The Guardian “A cracking piece of community theatre, played in a sparky, out-front style by its vibrant cast of 10 young women. Like some stylised latter-day Muslim take on Jack Rosenthal's Barmitzvah Boy, which captured the Jewish East End so well, Kennedy, director Julia Voce and the cast have crafted a 35-minute meditation on acceptance and reconciliation that's light, bright and is blessed with theatrical verve.” The Herald “A truly delightful piece … Kennedy has done a wonderful job in his stated aim of giving these young adults a voice, and achieved it in an entertaining, amusing and challenging manner.” View From The Stalls "Energy, humour and drama, Mehndi Night has it all ... the young actresses are uniformly excellent ... a celebration of women." Three Weeks For more information on this show please email finkennedy@yahoo.co.uk