English

I have a tremendously overinflated opinion of my own expertise in language – or at least that’s what I’ve been told [blushes humbly] – so I went to see this play with the worst of intentions. I thought I knew what it would be like. I thought I would be walking out saying “Well they got THAT and THAT and THAT wrong”.

I should see more plays. It was ME that was wrong!

As someone who has spent time in a very foreign language environment, and who has climbed the steep path of second language acquisition, this play was resonant. There are so many beautiful and funny moments, that brought to mind my own experience of having different views of myself depending on the noise I was making; of the difficulty of letting strange sounds penetrate your body; of needing to hear an apology (my own!) in my own language; and the insight into the many different motivations people have to learn this or that language, only to find that they were all misguided, and the real treasure was the people you discarded along the way. I recommend this play. It’s very good. You have one night left..