When Ahmed Moneka first walked through Kensington Market after immigrating to Canada, he was so moved by a group of street musicians that he wanted to run up to them and tell them how he felt.

But he didn't speak English, and knew yelling excitedly in Arabic at strangers wouldn't go down well.

That's just one of the funny scenes from the play In Sundry Languages, opening Friday at the Aki Studio on Dundas Street East in Regent Park.

All of the actors are immigrants and on stage they often speak in different languages to each other. Yet with the help of their gestures, the audience is able to figure out what's going on, and share a laugh or even a cry.

"It's really reflecting the reality of Toronto, how diverse it is," said Moneka, who emigrated from Baghdad, Iraq in 2016. "It's like the streetcar soundtrack."

Director Art Babayants says he was always interested in how people use their body to communicate when they don't speak a language well. He came up with the idea for play in 2015 and was driven to create a space for immigrant actors in Toronto.

A play in seven languages

"It seemed a bit strange to me that in the city where 50 per cent of the population is a visible minority or first generation immigrant, yet they're not invited into the arts scene as much as they should be," said Babayants.

The play is performed in Arabic, Greek, Spanish, Hebrew, Bengali, Comorian, French and English.

Ahmed Moneka learned English three years ago, now he's acting and singing in Toronto. (Natalie Nanowski CBC News )

Moneka, like many of the other actors, performed back in his home country, but didn't speak English when he came to Canada so he struggled to find work.

Fast forward three years and he's friends with those Kensington musicians and In Sundry Languages has not only helped his career, it's helped him understand others.

"It makes me feel at home because people are from everywhere and you don't feel like a stranger," said Moneka.

High fiving means something bad in Greece

Actor Maria Kordoni spoke English when she arrived in Canada, so she didn't have to rely on body language and gestures to get her point across. But she's still trying to come to terms with people high fiving each other in public. To her, the act of raising your hand up with an open palm means something else.

"It kind of means, 'Go to hell,' in Greece," said Kordoni with a laugh.

"It's interesting that certain gestures mean something to someone and something else to another person. That brings out situations that can either be really funny or not so funny," said Kordoni.

Actor Maria Kordoni came from Greece eight years ago and enjoys learning about different cultures. (Natalie Nanowski CBC News )

The play tries to break down some of those cultural differences and help the audience connect, especially by inviting immigrants or first generation Canadians who speak some of the languages that are being used.

"Their biases are challenged in the show. They see themselves in those interactions or they see their neighbours," said Babayants.

Challenge your biases

One of the goals, says Babayants, is for the audience to start thinking "how far am I willing to go to connect with somebody who looks different or who doesn't speak my first language?"

After its stint at Aki Studio, In Sundry Languages moves to Studio N in North York where it will incorporate Russian. Its final stop is in August at the Fairview Library Theatre where Persian and Armenian will be added to the mix.

Even though the play focuses on immigrants, producer Gregory Guzik says anyone from any background will enjoy it.

"It's a series of comedic scenes, the scenes are very quick. So when someone doesn't understand one part there's quickly something else that they can relate to and understand," said Guzik.