English: A Play by Blackout Art Society

2023 Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama

A quietly powerful and deeply human play, English follows four Iranian adults in a storefront classroom in Karaj, near Tehran, as they prepare for an English proficiency exam. As grammar drills and pronunciation exercises unfold, something deeper emerges—questions of identity, belonging, and what is gained or lost when learning a new language that promises opportunity, reinvention, and distance from home. With warmth, humour, and piercing insight, English explores cultural displacement, migration, and the sacrifices made in pursuit of a different future.

Blackout Art Society is Vancouver’s immigrant-led theatre company, multiplying refugee and multicultural voices since 2013.

“There’s no shortage of easy comedy to be wrung from the conceit of foreigners who talk ‘funny’… But, while Toossi’s play frequently delights in the infelicities of imperfect speech, it’s never cruel.” — The New Yorker

“An outstanding play. A masterfully executed look at the impossibility of translating humanity through imperfect means.” — Theatrely

“This critic’s advice is simple: Book a ticket right now – TIM TEEMAN, THE DAILY BEAST

“Undeniably one of the best plays of the decade!” – CHRISTIAN LEWIS, VARIETY

“Assimilating into a new country is hard for reasons that only start with language, that being the big takeaway in English. But the message of the play is that persevering is possible, even though sacrifices will have to be made”. – Amir N. Hosseini

“For anyone who has ever lived between languages or cultures, English reflects a reality that is deeply familiar, tenderly observed, and rarely given space on stage. Its themes resonate far beyond the immigrant experience, touching on power, education, and the ways language shapes how we are seen and how we see ourselves.” – Cristiana Zachau, Exact Resemblance