Handful of Henna

by Rani Moorthy

It is with great pleasure that I let you know about Sheffield Theatres’ production, ‘Handful of Henna’ .

Saheeda hasn’t seen her homeland since she came to England as a young bride. Now she returns with her young daughter Nasreen. Saheeda has saved for her dream trip home. Nasreen wants to stay in England with her new found friends. When they arrive in a monsoon, mother and daughter are set for a difficult time.

As the stories of Saheeda’s childhood unravel, mother and daughter are brought together and find that their journey into the past helps them embrace their future.

Based on real stories of childhood from Muslim women, celebrated actress and writer Rani Moorthy’s moving new play is an enlightening look at lives lived across two cultures. Throughout 2006 Sheffield Theatres worked with groups of Pakistani, Yemeni and Somalian women and young people to research Handful of Henna. Supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund, the original recordings of their stories and voices will form part of an archive that will be available to schools to support the cultural understanding of people now living in the city of Sheffield.

Karen Simpson
Creative Development Programme Director