Shakespeare returns to Iran

The company put on a modern interpretation

A Scottish theatre company thrills audiences in Iran with the first performance of the Bard's work seen in the country for more than 25 years.

By Miranda Eeles In Tehran

Shakespeare has returned to Iran with a Scottish theatre company wowing audiences in Tehran with an Islamic interpretation of The Winter's Tale.

The Dundee Repertory Theatre went to Tehran as part of the 21st Fair International Festival.

Their first performance on Tuesday at the 1600-seat Talar Vahdat Hall, was played to a packed audience, made up of students, actors and academics.

"For us here, watching a Shakespeare play is always a sign of good fortune, so it was wonderful to have them here after so many years," said Goli Emami, a publisher and translator.

The actresses had to cover their heads

"I loved it but I think the language was too heavy for Iranian people. I think they should have put more slang in it so people could understand it," said Noushin, a drama student.

For those whose English was not quite up to scratch, a simultaneous Persian translation was available, high up on a screen above the stage.

But this did not go as smoothly as planned. Technical difficulties meant the screen frequently froze or zipped across so quickly it was almost impossible to read.

Irrational behaviour

The audience reaction to the hitches was mixed.

"I thought it was very good. The standard of the performance was very high but unfortunately the subtitles went a bit haywire and I think that put a lot of people off," said Reza, a university lecturer.

Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale combines jealousy and irrational behaviour with tragedy and laughter.

Meg Fraser played Hermione

King Leontes of Sicilia suspects his wife Hermione of having an affair with his childhood best friend Polixenes.

He rages to himself about their paddling palms and pinching fingers and convinces himself of their guilt.

He consequently sends his wife to prison and orders his friend to die.

For the director Dominic Hill, the fact that physical contact between the sexes is banned makes the play more relevant.

"Concentrating on the physicality and when it's important is quite helpful so that when they do first touch, it becomes more exciting and more electrifying," he said.

"At home, people ask the question why does King Leontes behave like that and it's just a kind of psychosis.

"But when you put it in this environment, in some ways it is more understandable because in some ways the 2 people are breaking a taboo."

Relaxed rules

In order for the play to be accepted by the authorities, women had to be dressed in hejab or head scarves and certain aspects of the production had to be changed.

Some of the dance themes were re-choreographed with women dancing with women and men dancing with men.

But the rule banning any kind of physical contact was not enforced. In fact at a dress rehearsal in the afternoon, the only parts that they were asked to change involved the men's attire.

"The women had a bit of a triumph because it was the men that were pulled up for revealing their legs," said Ann Louise Ross who plays Paulina.

"We were able to show a little bit of hair, have a little body contact but the men were told to cover up their legs.

"They saw bare flesh exposed and they didn't think that would be appropriate. Us women were delighted."

The trip was organised by the British Council who hope this will be the first of many cultural exchanges between the UK and Iran in the future.

Diplomatic links between the two countries were severed after the Revolution in 1979.

The last time a UK theatre company performed here was in 1977 when Derek Jacobi starred in Hamlet.