Wine & Halva Returns to Montreal Stage

There’s something kind of electric about a show that dares you to make you squirm a little. That’s exactly where Wine & Halva lives, and clearly, people are leaning in. After a sold-out run, it’s back, and still not playing it safe.

Presented by Sort Of Productions and Art Babayants in association with Postmarginal, and in collaboration with Teesri Duniya Theatre, this return engagement runs May 9 to 23 at Rangshala in Cité-des-Hospitalières. And yeah, they get the vibe right from the start.

Written by Deniz Başar, Wine & Halva drops you into what feels like a buzzing Istanbul coffeehouse. You can almost smell it. Coffee, conversation, poetry, tension. It feels warm on the surface, but underneath, it’s quietly asking bigger questions about identity, migration, and what it really takes to connect with someone who comes from a completely different world.

At the center are Derya and Farias. She’s a Turkish woman who lands in North America to pursue her PhD and suddenly finds herself labeled in ways she never expected. He’s a Canadian white gay man stuck in a low-paying job, drifting more than actually living. On paper, they’ve got nothing in common. That’s the whole point.

The play doesn’t just explore their friendship. It pokes at it. Tests it. Breaks it apart and rebuilds it right in front of you. The humour hits, but it’s not always comfortable. You’ll laugh, then immediately wonder why. Then probably laugh again anyway.

One line pretty much nails the tone:
“I actually really like diversity when it is all there to pamper me. But I just don’t like conflict, you know?”

Yeah. It goes there.

What really sets this apart is the use of Orta Oyunu, a traditional West Asian storytelling style where actors perform in the round and break the fourth wall. You’re not just watching this unfold. You’re pulled into it, whether you’re ready or not.

And here’s the part I love. The creators actually treat walkouts like a badge of honour. Some audience members have left during the first act because it hits a little too close. For the team, that just means it’s doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.

It’s rare to see a play lean this hard into discomfort, humour, and truth all at once. Wine & Halva doesn’t hand you answers. It leaves you sitting with better questions.