Wine&Halva

Imagine stepping into an intimate vibrant Istanbul coffee house. The air hangs heavy with the rich aroma of Turkish coffee, the soulful strains of music, and the rustle of poetry and passionate conversation. Beneath the warmth simmers political tension and quiet acts of resistance, all laced with bursts of humour and fragile rays of hope. In this atmospheric world, three narrators gently take you by the hand and guide you through an intimate yet epic tale — the story of an unlikely friendship between two people from vastly different worlds.

Farias, whose name means “Lighthouse,” is a white gay man from a fictional North American city. Trapped in a low-paying, menial service job, he struggles forward with little hope for the future. Derya, whose name means “Sea,” is a Turkish woman who emigrates to North America to complete her PhD, only to discover, to her surprise, that she has become a visible minority in her new home.

How can friends truly do justice to one another when they have almost nothing in common?

This is the profound question at the heart of Wine & Halva, written by award-winning playwright Deniz Başar — a first-generation immigrant from Turkey to Canada. Drawing on the rich tradition of narrative theatre from West Asia and the Middle East, Başar crafts a moving exploration of the labour, the joy, and the quiet power of friendship as an act of resistance. You laugh. You cringe. Then you laugh-cry — because it feels all too real.Get ready for this powerful, intimate story of an unlikely friendship that breaks cultural barriers and reveals the true meaning of connection – Art Babayants, Director.

May 13th & 14th we will offer PWYC tickets at the door. If you’d like to reserve a ticket for PWYC dates send an email to tickets@teesriduniyatheatre.com.