The play ‘80 Days Around the World’, written by Jalal Tehrani and directed by Naem Salehi, is on stage at Mashayekhi Theatre Hall, in Tehran.
The plot is a linear sequence of events that start in a park. Two passersby find a ‘time bomb’ hidden in a bag which is triggered to detonate in 80 days. The characters start their journey around the world in search of the bag owner, Farhang-o-Honar (Culture and Art) News Network reported.
“The bomb symbolizes social problems and challenges, which if left unresolved will surely be disastrous,” said Salehi.
The dialogues are arranged in a cyclic manner, a common style in Tehrani’s absurd works.
Salehi has focused on the comic dimension of the show, adding fantasy elements such as a joker, who enters the stage during the scene intervals, narrating a summary of each act and the bomb, which grows bigger as time passes.
“I followed simplicity in theatre paraphernalia, using the minimum to get maximum results by means of magical transformation of objects, through multifunctional acting.”
The story is expressionistic, although the cast use body gestures and fantasize. “As Tehrani’s 5th work, it reflects his holistic approach to social challenges,” Salehi said.
Salehi along with Mohammad Hossein Motamedi and Mansour Khaksari are in the cast. It will run through October 7 at the theatre hall, on No. 1478, Vali-e-Asr Crossroad, Enghelab Ave.
