In this special 5 Things interview, we speak with Sara Amini – the writer, performer and co-director of Saria Callas, a bold and darkly playful new show exploring freedom, oppression, and identity. The production opens at Camden People’s Theatre from 6–17 May before heading to Glasgow’s Òran Mór as part of A Play, A Pie and A Pint from 26–31 May. Mixing pop, video, humour and heartbreak, Amini invites audiences into a world that is intimate, political, and deeply personal.

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What made you want to tell this story?
We are living in a time when, even today, women in some European countries still don’t have the right to choose abortion. In Iran, women are fighting for their right to choose what to wear – and many other basic freedoms, including the right to sing in public. In Afghanistan, women have been stripped of their right to education. In the United States, we’re witnessing a wave of new laws that are increasingly anti-women and anti-trans rights.

It feels as though the desire to restrict minority groups – from women to even more marginalised communities like trans people – is growing stronger by the day.

To me, concepts like freedom and democracy are incredibly fragile. We must actively and consciously support and protect them on a daily basis and remain aware of how easily these seemingly basic rights can come under threat.

Creating Saria Callas was, for me, a way of provoking the audience to reflect on the idea of freedom – but within a broader, more global context. Although the piece begins in a small, intimate, and seemingly distant world – one that might not immediately feel connected to a modern London audience – its aim is to ask a more universal question about bodily and vocal autonomy.

Why did you mix pop, comedy and video in the show?
I’m tired of the serious and gloomy perspective on the Middle East, and specifically on Iran. I would like to give the audience the opportunity to see me and us from a more human angle. Perhaps it can be said that Saria Callas, in a kitsch and popular style, attempts to escape the clichéd view of an Iranian woman, hijab, and Islam, but with a playful tone, by challenging forms of control and suppression in the face of freedom. In Saria Callas, video is used to support the storytelling by making distant concepts and spaces more tangible for a non-Iranian audience, while also adding additional layers to the narrative.

What was the hardest part of making Saria Callas?
Writing and creating Saria Callas was very smooth and organic for me. It felt as if something that had been formed within me years ago had finally found its way into the outside world. I was only very cautious when developing the character of Nima, Saria’s child, and it was with the help of my two brilliant dramaturgs that I found the courage to create Nima’s character and scenes.

How has being a mum influenced the show?
Being a parent naturally and unconsciously places you in a very powerful position in relation to your child. As a parent, you constantly make decisions on behalf of your child in order to protect them, and the child is inevitably required to accept and live with those decisions. For me, the experience of motherhood and being in that position has been, and continues to be, deeply challenging.

This unequal – though natural – dynamic made me rethink the concept of protection. Growing up under a religious government has always involved different forms of protection imposed on society by the state. This so-called protection extends into the most private aspects of people’s lives, always accompanied by a sense of benevolence from the religious regime. This moralistic goodwill interferes with the most personal decisions of individuals — and that’s where the parallel between this system and the parent-child relationship starts to raise questions for me.

Where exactly is the limit? To what extent should a parent be allowed to make decisions on behalf of their child? In Saria Callas, I’ve tried to raise this question in a very everyday, relatable way. In fact, to answer your question, I’d say that becoming a mother didn’t change my sense of defiance or resistance – but it gave it new dimensions.

What does it mean to you to “have a voice”?
It means having equal opportunities – creating equal opportunities. As a migrant whose first language is not English, finding my voice in the London theatre industry has been a major challenge. I see the biggest reason for this as the industry’s lack of trust in a migrant individual. Finding my voice has been a constant struggle against the biases of people who may not even be aware that they are continuously taking opportunities away from others like me, simply because they hold prejudices that prevent them from seeing the world beyond their own perspective. By creating Saria, I tried to carve out an opportunity for myself and invite others to hear my voice, to see the ways we are similar, and to celebrate our differences.

Do you think Camden and Glasgow audiences will react differently?
We are really excited to be performing at both Camden People’s Theatre and Play Pie Pint – two iconic institutions leading the way for new and emerging artists across London and Glasgow. I like to think that as we bridge the gap of Brian Logan and Rio Matchett’s inaugural seasons as at each venues – not to forget that we are the very first visiting company to tour into Òran Mór.

Both CPT and PPP have very loyal and established audiences, and some may say they are quite different communities. But I like to think that audiences across Camden and Glasgow are eager for bold, contemporary stories. The beauty in making a new show is making sure you do appeal to as wide an audience as possible, and I hope this tragicomedy does exactly that.

Why use humour and camp to talk about serious topics?
I’m tired of the serious and gloomy perspective on the Middle East, and specifically on Iran. I would like to give the audience the opportunity to see me and us from a more human angle. Perhaps it can be said that Saria Callas, in a kitsch and popular style, attempts to escape the clichéd view of an Iranian woman, hijab, and Islam, but with a playful tone, by challenging forms of control and suppression in the face of freedom.

Is it tricky being both a director and a performer?
I never recommend that someone take on the roles of both actor and director (in full) in the same project. Because without a doubt, someone who is performing on stage cannot have full oversight of what is seen from the outside. Moreover, to direct your acting, you definitely need someone to guide you. In this project, I have both a Co-Director (Manuel Lavandera) and an Associate Director (Robin Paley Yorke) by my side. Since Saria was very personal to me, I had directorial ideas for it, but without the help of the directing team who supported me all the way through, creating and performing Saria would not have been possible for me.

What 5 things would you say to a school pupil who wants to be a comedian?
They should be good listeners and observe their surroundings carefully and attentively. They should have a very clear reason for expressing any subject. They should have a strong persona and maintain a powerful and consistent personal perspective in their work. They should bring high energy to their performance, so that no one can take their eyes off them. And they should not be afraid of anything.

What do you hope people feel or think about after seeing the show?
I would like the audience to question how often, in life, they might have unknowingly taken on the role of an oppressor. I want them to realise that becoming an oppressor, even momentarily, is not something strange or distant from themselves, and to think deeply about how easily, in our daily behaviours, we might move closer to suppressing others and making decisions on their behalf. I hope they reflect on how our everyday actions might strip others of their freedom and self-expression. I want the audience to consider how fragile concepts like freedom and democracy truly are, and how much they require constant care and vigilance. After watching Saria, I hope the audience feels more eager to listen to others and to understand them more deeply.