As the audience file in, a woman (Isabella Nefar) stands at a kitchen island chopping vegetables. She begins to talk about the meal she is cooking, where it comes from, and where she comes from. My English Persian Kitchen is the story of one woman’s life in Iran and her eventual escape to London, where she must build a new life alone.

Nefar is warm and conversational as she walks us through the recipe, so much so that it’s easy to forget that you aren’t really a guest in her kitchen; but painful memories keep breaking through her façade and shifting the genre towards horror: lights flicker, the kitchen knife takes on a life of its own, and even the drawers seem to work against her. At one point, she is seemingly dragged into the refrigerator by invisible hands as she recalls her abusive husband.

My English Persian Kitchen manages to hold space for all the conflicting emotions that come with trauma. The woman loves Iran, despite being forced to flee; London feels like home now, except when it doesn’t. All these feelings are poured into her recipe, which lucky audience members have a chance to try at the end. 

My English Persian Kitchen, Traverse Theatre, until 25 August, times vary; main picture: Ellie Kurtz.