Quote image for "Mehndi Night"
Fin Kennedy's Mehndi Night is a play about resentment and forgiveness on the eve of a wedding, and explores the challenges of a cross-cultural identity in 21st-century Britain. It was the first play to emerge from a groundbreaking collaboration between Kennedy and the Mulberry School for Girls in Tower Hamlets, East London. It was first performed by students from the school on 2 August 2007 at Venue 45, Edinburgh, as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The title of the play refers to the traditional pre-wedding Hindu celebrations. Akin to a ‘hen’ night, it is a time for the female members of a community to gather together to sing, dance and bless the bride-to-be. However, when an uninvited visitor turns up bringing with her painful memories of the past, everyone is forced to confront their own fears, prejudices and longings.
The Edinburgh Fringe premiere was directed by Julia Voce and designed by Kollodi Norton. It was performed by Marjana Rahman, Khadija Sharaz Khanom, Nabarupa Deb, Sabina Aktar, Thania Sultana, Rubena Begum, Farhana Hussain, Aklima Begum, Fahmina Begum and Rebeka Yasmin.