Journeys, secrets and unity in the game Women Blowing on Knots

Adapted by Leyla Nazlı from by Ece Temelkuran novel and its director Lerzan Pamir, Women Blowing on Knots It is about the journey of four extraordinary women from Tunisia to Lebanon via Libya and Egypt.

Eve (Gamze Şanlı), Meryem (Livia Arditti) and Amira (Antonia Salib) find themselves momentarily freed from the burden of their past as they watch the wedding spectacle unfold before their eyes, whiskey in hand. They laugh together as they exchange stories and find comfort in their shared experiences. The night offers them a place of refuge, as one character puts it, “Tunisia is the perfect place to be forgotten.”

The trio forms an unlikely friendship with Madame Lilla (Nicole Ansari-Cox), a mysterious old woman who invites them to her home for a decadent dinner. As women feast on mint turkey and rice cooked in tangerine juice, they slowly begin to peel away the layers of their carefully guarded selves.

Having lost her job, Turkish journalist Eve finds herself in Tunisia with the desire to write a book on this subject. Arab Spring. He guards his past with quiet intensity, telling little about himself to those around him, but it’s clear he’s still searching for something; a new beginning or maybe just an escape from your past.

Maryam, an Egyptian political activist and professor, is drawn to Tunisia with a desire to learn more about the legendary Queen Dido of Carthage. He outwardly displays a strong, independent personality, but beneath his shaved head and confident exterior lies the weight of a dark secret. Like the Phoenician queen, Mary feels the crushing burden of being a woman doomed to face failure and betrayal in a male-dominated world.

Amira, a Tunisian woman whose life cuts from scene to scene like a theater production, has lived many lives, representing a different role in each. Once an online activist who played a key role in organizing demonstrations during the Arab Spring, he now spends his days posing for tourists in the hammam as a tourist attraction. But her lifelong dream is to open her own dance school.

As the dinner party progresses, Madame Lilla makes an irresistible offer to Amira: the dance school she has long dreamed of, in exchange for the ride of her life.

At first, women immediately reject the offer because they are afraid of the consequences. But everything changes in the next scene.

With their lives now turned upside down and nowhere to return, the duo find themselves rethinking the impossible bargain. The idea of ​​a road trip, no matter how vague, suddenly seems like the perfect escape. And so, without fully understanding why, four related strangers set off together, bound by a shared sense of urgency and an unspoken sense of solidarity.

Neil Irish innovative set design It brings adventure to life with dynamic movement and creative use of space. As the women head south with Madame Lilla at the wheel, the circular stage rotates, allowing them to travel great distances without ever leaving the stage.

Then ordinary bar stools were cleverly redesigned to represent camels. Although this may seem funny at first, Richard Williamsonlighting and Oguz KaplangiThe sound design of gives the audience the feeling of traveling through the desert with four women.

At each stop on their journey, the women encounter a new character from Madame Lilla’s mysterious past, each offering a glimpse into a life filled with tragedy and secrets. As the layers of her history are slowly revealed, women and viewers alike find themselves trying to piece together the missing parts of Lilla’s life.

These characters are brought to life by an extraordinarily versatile cast (Mercedes Assad, Öncel Camcı, Sara Diab) whose performances add color and complexity to the small narratives. While some of these stories are underdeveloped, they serve to reinforce the play’s broader political themes and offer poignant reflections on female friendship and the common bonds that bind women together regardless of time and place.

As the adventure reaches its climax, the women make their final stop at Dido’s House, where long-hidden truths are revealed. In a powerful and unforgettable performance, Ansari-Cox brings to life Madame Lilla’s raw emotional revelation that her journey has led her to kill the man who ruined her life. An intense moment of personal reckoning, superbly conveyed.

Dido’s House is also the scene of the confessions of Meryem, who shares the heartbreaking secret of her newborn daughter, whom she left behind in Lebanon. This moment deepens the emotional burden of the journey and brings the women closer together.

Although Madame Lilla does not get the exact revenge she seeks, she emerges with something much deeper: a sense of solidarity, healing, and self-discovery.

In Tunisia, women celebrate their unbreakable bond; Maryam is reunited with her child and Amira opens her dance school.

Temelkuran expressed a simple but powerful sentiment while reflecting on the message of the play: “When you fall, there will be women, and only women, to catch you.” This echoes throughout the production as what begins as a journey of distrust and anger slowly turns into a testament to the power of female friendship and solidarity.

The background of the Arab Spring is important Women Blowing on Knots. As the women travel through a region in political turmoil, their individual struggles reflect the broader impact of the Arab Spring, a time of both hope and disappointment.

However, the essence of the play is not about political divisions, but about the universal, enduring power of sisterhood and motherhood in the face of difficulties.

In a world defined by moral and political confusion, it is these women’s stories—stories of resilience, compassion, and unwavering support—that emerge as the play’s most powerful message.

As Temelkuran puts it, “Today, we need more women’s stories to overcome the moral and political confusion. “This is how we know how to adapt as human beings and as humanely as possible to these inhumane times.”

And these stories, told with love and courage, endure long after the curtain falls.

 Women Blowing on Knots open Arcola Theater Until November 23.

For tickets and information: https://www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on/women-who-blow-on-knots-2/

Arcola Theater opened in 2000 to provide a space for emerging artists to grow and explore. He has been producing international and political theater ever since.

Lydia Doye is a freelance writer with a special interest in Middle Eastern and North African art and culture.

Follow him on X: @LDoye_Journo