“Every woman’s story is a knot waiting to be unravelled”
Arcola’s co-founder Leyla Nazli (Mare Rider) adapts Ece Temelkuran’s celebrated novel Women Who Blow on Knots for the stage, presenting a powerful tale of freedom, resilience, and unbreakable female friendships.
Set against the backdrop of the Arab Spring, we follow the journey of four remarkable women on a road trip from Tunisia to Lebanon, through Syria. Madame Lilla, a mysterious and glamorous chameleon takes charge and leads revolutionaries Maryam, an Egyptian and Amira, a young Tunisian; and Ece, a Turkish journalist who can’t return home, headfirst through an adventurous journey that changes the course of their lives.
As they traverse the Middle East in a classic Cadillac, these women confront their pasts and form indestructible bonds, undeterred by the sociopolitical turmoil around them. This powerful adaptation celebrates the indomitable spirit of women who dare to unravel the knots of their destinies and weave new futures.
Ece Temelkuran is a Turkish journalist and political commentator, and author of How to Lose a Country: The 7 Steps from Democracy to Dictatorship. Her novel Women Who Blow On Knots is a phenomenon in Turkey, with more than 120,000 copies sold.
Leyla Nazli’s previous work at Arcola: Mare Rider (2013); Silver Birch House (2007). Leyla is Executive Producer and co-founder of Arcola Theatre.
Lerzan Pamir’s previous work at Arcola: Dark Vanilla Jungle (2015); When the Bulbul Stopped Singing (2013).