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2. The Return

The long-awaited return of Mustafa brings the Kanzaci household to breaking point. Stars Lara Sawalha and Philip Arditti.

The long-awaited return of Mustafa brings the Kanzaci household to breaking point.

Two families - one Turkish, the other Armenian-American - are bound by the same horrific past.

One rainy afternoon in Istanbul, a 19-year-old, unmarried woman walks into a doctor's surgery.

"I need to have an abortion," she announces.

20 years later, Asya Kazanci lives with her extended family in Istanbul. All the Kanzanci men die early, victims of a mysterious family curse, so this is a household of women. Among them are Asya's beautiful, rebellious mother Zeliha, her clairvoyant aunt Banu and their eccentric sister Feride, as well as the ageing Petit Ma.

They are ruled over by the iron will of matriarch Gulsum.

Into the midst of this madhouse comes Asya's determined American cousin Armanoush, who unknowingly brings with her long-hidden family secrets inextricably linked to Turkey's turbulent past.

Written by Elif Shafak and dramatised by Hattie Naylor.

Asya …. Lara Sawalha
Mr Bitter …. Raad Rawi
Mrs Sweet/Rose …. Laurel Lefkow
Zeliha …. Nathalie Armin
Banu …. Mia Soteriou
Armanoush …. Gillian Saker
Mustafa …. Philip Arditti
Gulsum …. Anna Savva
Feride …. Baris Celiloglu
Hahvannes …. Jonas Khan
Cartoonist …. Murat Erkek
Poet …. Catriona Stirling

Director: Nicolas Jackson

An Afonica production for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4, first broadcast in January 2018.

1 hour

Last on

Thu 8 Sep 2022 03:00

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Credits

Role Contributor
Mr Bitter Raad Rawi
Mrs Sweet Laurel Lefkow
Asya Lara Sawalha
Zeliha Nathalie Armin
Banu Mia Soteriou
Armanoush Gillian Saker
Rose Laurel Lefkow
Mustafa Philip Arditti
Gulsum Anna Savva
Feride Baris Celiloglu
Hahvannes Jonas Khan
Cartoonist Murat Erkek
Poet Catriona Stirling
Author Elif Shafak
Adaptor Hattie Naylor
Director Nicolas Jackson
Producer Nicolas Jackson

Broadcasts

  • Sun 28 Jan 2018 15:00
  • Sat 3 Feb 2018 21:00
  • Tue 14 May 2019 11:00
  • Tue 14 May 2019 21:00
  • Wed 7 Sep 2022 10:00
  • Wed 7 Sep 2022 15:00
  • Thu 8 Sep 2022 03:00

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