Natasha Stanic Mann’s ‘The Return’ brings a hauntingly poetic exploration of war and its consequences to The Edge

On Thu 17 Oct, Natasha Stanic Mann’s critically acclaimed play The Return brings an inspirational and devastatingly poignant tale of war, family, belonging and triumphant human spirit to The Edge.

Vividly rendered through a blend of movement, storytelling and poetry, Mann’s latest production draws inspiration from Dobrisa Cesaric’s namesake poem to explore the profound effects of war on her own life.

Based on true experiences of living in Croatia during the collapse of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, The Return charts the creator’s escape from destruction in search of safety and belonging in Britain. Thirty years later, Natasha’s past suddenly comes back to haunt her, leaving her embroiled in the same traumatic battles of her childhood.

Hailed as ‘breathtaking, striking and thought-provoking’ in Everything Theatre’s five-star review, the migrant/female-led play offers a bold, tender and captivating examination of family, identity, the surreal circumstances of conflict and the intergenerational consequences of war with absorbing visual theatre and disarming humour.

Speaking ahead of the show, Mann said: “The Return is a one-woman show, it is a very personal story and it’s told in a non-linear fashion, mixing storytelling with movement, sound and poetry.

“The piece is based on my experience of living through the Yugoslav Wars. Every generation there has lived through a war or sometimes two wars – my great-grandparents, my grandparents, my parents, and myself have had this experience. The piece investigates what effect this had on my life.

“I was very ambivalent about the war and the breakup of former Yugoslavia, and I couldn’t put my finger on what I was feeling about this. I was feeling a lot of contradictory things and when asked about the war I often felt irritated – “oh no this question, again!”

“The show explores why I felt like this and how the indirect effects of war influenced my life. The Return is my own personal reconciliation with the war in the 90’s and possibly other conflicts generations before me I know have been through.”

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