LONG WAY HOME to Make Edinburgh Fringe Debut with Layla Warren
The solo show, directed by Sepy Baghaei, follows an Iranian refugee's journey from Tehran to American TV.
MTV wanted a TV presenter. Hollywood wanted a star. But, for Layla Warren, an Iranian refugee, the journey to becoming either meant confronting a past that refused to stay buried.
Long Way Home is a deeply personal solo performance that traces one woman's journey from war-torn Tehran through the council estates of London to the bright lights of American television - and all the emotional terrain in between. Blending sharp humour with poignant storytelling and cultural insight, the piece explores what it means to survive, to belong and to establish your home in a constantly shifting world.
Born in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq War, Layla's earliest memories are shaped by survival, how to hide with the lights off and voices silenced. After fleeing Iran as a child, she grew up chasing freedom and reinvention, eventually carving out a career in American entertainment. But, when that dream begins to fracture, the past she once escaped resurfaces, forcing her to confront the cost of assimilation and ambition.
From bomb shelters to broadcast studios, Long Way Home asks what survival looks like after safety is achieved. It delves into the tension between the life one is born into and the life one dares to create through a story of resistance, both personal and systemic. After being pressured into a decision she doesn't want to take, Layla stepped away from her career focussing on family and motherhood. Even in safety, Layla grapples with the lingering effects of her childhood where peace feels unfamiliar and chaos, paradoxically, feels like home. Performances will run August 5-31.
Director Sepy Baghaei comments, From the minute I started reading the script, I was blown away by Layla's incredible life story, which is full of surprises, resilience, and wit. As an Iranian woman myself, I'm proud to be working on a story that explores the complexity of the diaspora experience, and invites audiences to have a conversation around the themes of identity and culture.
Originally developed prior to recent events in Iran, the work has taken on new urgency. While Layla can speak freely about her experiences, there is a stark contrast faced by those still living under repression, where self-expression can come at the ultimate cost.
Producer Chris Warren comments, This show is about a survivor who was forced to escape her homeland but always longed for it. The complexity of gaining freedom while feeling remorse for the life left behind. Does Layla deserve this new life, does she even want it? This is a story that needs to be told, especially now.
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