Rebin has been stuck in the UK immigration system for almost a decade, which has given him plenty of time to get into a routine.
Work.
Play.
Apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Repeat.
Rebin has been stuck in the UK immigration system for almost a decade, settling into a routine: working at a local hand carwash, playing online games with loyal customer Noah, and repeatedly applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
The carwash is run by Destan, an Iranian-Kurd, under the watchful eye of the Persian owner, Shapur. When Görkem, a Turkish-Kurd fresh off the boat joins the car wash staff, claiming to be the grandson of Kurdish ‘freedom fighter’ Apo Ocalan, Rebin isn’t impressed—he’s seen plenty like him come and go.
But when Shapur proposes using the carwash as a front for human trafficking, Rebin’s routine is shattered—indefinitely.
Fringe First award-winner Arzhang Pezhman’s unflinching new drama explores the unravelling life of someone stuck in the UK immigration system.
Rehearsal Trailer
In the press
★★★★ ‘Winningly funny and humanly devastating… Ostan is a powerful piece of work’
All That Dazzles
★★★★ ‘A captivating story… Arzhang Pezhman’s writing is enthralling’
Everything Theatre
★★★★ ‘Flawlessly written… a raw and intricate story which will remain in your mind indefinitely’
Beyond the Curtain
★★★★ ‘Poignant and thought-provoking… a powerful and timely piece of theatre’
Theatre News
★★★★ ‘A striking piece… witty, sharp and grit-filled’
Hamza Jahanzeb
Praise for previous works by Arzhang Pezhman
‘Pezhman has a gift for dialogue… so well observed and brilliantly crafted it lifts the evening to another dimension’
Timeout – Theatre Critics Choice on Local
‘A blistering combination of wit and warmth’
The Telegraph on Local
‘A fascinating and pertinent debut’
Financial Times on Local
‘Excellent and provocative’
Birmingham Post and Mail on Bolt-hole
‘Taut, dynamic and sharply plotted’
This is Plymouth on Gravity
‘A visceral intelligence which holds us rapt’
Exeunt Magazine on For Their Own Good with Untied Artists
Cast
REBIN | OJAN GENC
DESTAN | MOHSEN GHAFFARI
GÖRKEM | SERKAN AVLIK
NOAH | EL ANTHONY
SHAPUR | DANA HAQJOO
Creative Team
WRITER | ARZHANG PEZHMAN
DIRECTOR | GABY DELLAL
SET & COSTUME DIRECTOR | LIZ COOKE
COMPOSER & SOUND DESIGNER | OĞUZ KAPLANGI
MOVEMENT DIRECTOR | BOBAK CHAMPION
PRODUCER | NOGA FLAISHON
STAGE MANAGER | HOLLY MATHER
PRODUCTION MANAGER | ELLE KILCULLEN
TECHNICAL ASSISTANT | BETH BEAN
LIGHTING DESIGNER | WILLIAM REYNOLDS
CASTING DIRECTOR | LEILA BERTRAND
SCRIPT ADVISORS | SWARA KADIR, YASMINE ALICE, SEPY BAGHAEI, STEVE WATERS & DEVRIM EVIN
TRANSLATORS | TAVGAR BULBAS, ALADDIN SINAYIC, TAHMORES TEHRANI
SPECIAL THANKS TO IPHGENIA BAAL, TOOMAJ SALEHI & MASHA JINA AMINI
Freesheet
Talking Shop Productions in association with Park Theatre presents the World Premiere of
Ostan
By Arzhang Pezhman, Directed by Gaby Dellal