Language and the power it can hold is at the heart of Sanaz Toossi’s Pulitzer Prize winning play. English is on paper a simple story of a small group of Iranian students seeking to pass the English as a Foreign Language Test (TOEFL). We are in the company of a grandmother who wants to be able to communicate with her Canadian granddaughter. She is joined by a medical student who requires an English tongue to progress in her career. A teen and a young man with their own reasons to learn, complete the class.
Of varying abilities, they are glued together by one shared objective. Under the tuition of Marjan, they embark on a six-week course. Told through an episodic structure, we are made privy to snatches of these interactions, during which a great deal of subtext brims beneath a deceptively simple surface. The idea of language as an identity, a currency and even a weapon are all placed under the spotlight during an uninterrupted ninety minutes.
Marjan is stringent that English is the only language spoken in her classroom and penalises those who break her rule. Nadia Albina is well cast, conveying an air of strict control which masks her usually carefully concealed vulnerabilities. Her relationship with Nojan Khazai’s Omid blurs the bond of teacher and student and we revel in witnessing her character’s contradictions come to light. Omid speaks better English than her, raising the question of why he is taking the course. It is the actor’s professional stage debut and Khazai excels in portraying a restrained yet multi-faceted character who starts silent but gradually reveals more of himself.
He is well supported by Lanna Joffrey, Serena Manteghi and Sara Hazemi. They all deliver, offering fruitful characterisation, although not every part is gifted equal weighting. We find ourselves wanting more from Joffrey’s Roya – the grandmother’s potentially compelling story feeling brushed over rather than fully excavated. With acting of this calibre, it is a shame to be deprived of further character development.
The same can be said of the play as a whole. One might argue it feels better suited to radio with its distinct lack of visual action to drive the narrative. This is incredibly dialogue heavy, however thanks to the stellar cast we quickly become invested in the characters and their journeys. Presented with just snippets of their communications and only hints of back stories, however, we are left craving more.
There are too many questions left unanswered and too many avenues unexplored. Beautifully performed and with a wealth of provocations, English leaves us with lingering thoughts as we leave the theatre. We miss the company of Marjan and her students, despite the relatively short time we have spent getting to know them. Perhaps that is a sign of a great play but there will certainly be a mild frustration for some spectators. Misleadingly minimal but refreshingly unique, English well warrants your attention.
