Second International Festival of Martin McDonagh

The Pillowman Play in second International Martin McDonagh Festival. Perm, Russia

The black comedy ‘The Pillowman’ co-directed by Iranian theater directors Mohammad Yaghoubi and Aida Keykhaii is to be staged at the second International Martin McDonagh Festival  in Perm, Russia, on October 6.

It is the only Iranian play invited by the festival to join the event which is dedicated to the plays written by the contemporary Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, 46, who has greatly contributed to the global theater scene through his eight works published so far.

Their collaborative work “The Pillowman” was nominated for “Best directing” at Fajr International Theatre Festival in Tehran. This is a multilayered production of the most complicated McDonagh’s work, which challenges stereotypes of the audience in order to expand their ethical worldview.

Theater ‘U Mosta’ in the Russian city of Perm is hosting the performance of all the eight works staged by the participating groups from Russia, Iran, Poland, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, ISNA reported.

‘The Pillowman’ is a 2003 play which tells the tale of Katurian, a fiction writer living in a police state who is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories, and their similarities to a number of bizarre child murders occurring in his town. It received the 2004 Olivier Award for Best New Play, the 2004-5 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Foreign Play, and two Tony Awards for production.

Ali Ghorbanian, Mohammad Khalajmasoumim, Siavash Shabanpour and Pooria Rouhanifard are the cast of the Iranian play, a production of Nowadays Theater.

The play was performed in Iran three years ago and Baran Theater Hall in Tehran will host it again from October 15.

Sources: https://financialtribune.com/ , http://teatr-umosta.ru/