Croatian Play To Premiere In Derby The Day After The UK Leaves The EU

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 the UK's first 'European' theatre piece to premiere the day after the UK leaves the European Union.

Written by a Croatian playwright and performed by a Croatian actor, 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.

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...?

Playwright, Kristina Gavran, said: "I feel this piece had to be written now because there is much that divides people at the minute, and this piece seeks to do exactly the opposite: leaving and returning, making home away from home and making or breaking traditions is not narrowly connected only to immigration issues. It is intrinsic to the world we all know, where people move for work, university and love. However, people are now listening with a lot of anticipation, so I feel this is time to tell these stories."

Of working with Kristina on this piece, Artistic Director of Notnow Collective and performer in Pepper and Honey, Tina Hofman, said: "We are two Croatian women who have come to UK in two very different political periods for Croatia and UK, and with that, had a very different

experience of travel, mobility and immigration. Twenty years ago, Croatians needed a visa for entering UK, whilst after 2013 we were able to enter in the same queue as any EU national. Both of us have committed to a life and making home and forming strong community bonds here. We are raising our multicultural families here in the Midlands. The questions of what and where is home, and cultural identity are so exciting and alive in our family discussions, with all the riches of our chosen life paths, and our children's complex and exciting heritage."

Pepper and Honey will premiere at Derby Theatre before embarking on a UK tour later this year. The performance on the 30th March will make it the first European Theatre Show, (both in content and in creative input), to be performed as the UK begins life outside of the European Union.

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