Majnoun

Published Monday 24 April 2006 at 11:45 by Paul Vale

The word Majnoun literally means crazy from love and this energetic theatrical revue offers insight into the changes that took place as the West began to make an influence on Iranian life and culture.

From the mid 1920’s a gradual modernisation occurred affecting everything in life from clothing to language and this production touches upon the human aspects of this change. With many of the scenes spoken in Farsi but always translated, the versatile cast demonstrate the absurdities of these changes, be they the Pahlavi hat changing to the Trilby or the ever increasing influence of Hollywood.

Aside from the obvious humour behind these various sketches author Mehrdad Seyf also manages to imbibe the scenes with a heavy dose of irony leaving the audience questioning the sweep of changes that took place. The actors involved in the piece offer sharp, concise performances ranging from a virtual ballet as Ali Amadi strips a native woman of her traditional clothing to Betsabeh Emran’s haunting rendition of Leili, based on an old Middle Eastern love story.

Leslie Travers deceptively barren set is filled with trapdoors, texture and intriguing angles keeping the actors on their toes and offering a series of visual surprises to the audience.

The clever design accentuated by Flick Ansell’s lighting proves particularly appropriate as the cast recreate a scene from Hitchcock’s classic Dial M for Murder. Add to this Behzad Bolour’s haunting mix of score and sounds the whole marries together to create a slick very stylish production.