Diary of an expat
by Cecilia Gragnani
“This is one of those rare productions that makes you think long and hard about a subject, without even realising it’s had that affect on you.”
Arriving in the UK from Italy nine years ago, equipped with a suitcase full of hopes, dreams and homemade pasta, Cecilia’s mission begins – becoming British whilst remaining deeply Italian.
Starting her exciting life abroad with thrilling adventures, successful careers and a vibrant urban lifestyle she is living the European dream… kind of. After numerous dubious jobs and weird encounters, Cecilia finds herself alone among the chaos of multicultural, glamorous London, trying to navigate the ever present uncertainty of politics around the European future. Turning her desires into reality has become a titanic endeavour as the dream of the perfect life abroad slowly drifts away.
Based on the personal experiences of writer Cecilia Gragnani, Diary of an Expat looks at lives of Europeans abroad and their urgency to understand and explore what expatriating means for a younger generation. What exactly is an expat anyway? Confronting the legal technicalities of becoming a citizen of another country, Cecilia questions her identity and how we decide where we belong.
Diary of an Expat will be touring the UK and Europe in 2018/19.