WORLD PREMIERE

• Nowadays Theatre Presents the World Premiere of Nostos at the 2026 Toronto Fringe Festival.
• Talking Dogs, Political Division, and an Android Searching for Neutrality.

TORONTO, ON — Nowadays Theatre is proud to present the world premiere of Nostos, a new 75-minute dark comedy written and directed by acclaimed Iranian Canadian playwright Mohammad Yaghoubi, as part of the 2026 Toronto Fringe Festival.

Set in Toronto and shaped by the realities of displacement, political upheaval, and the search for belonging, Nostos follows Beeta, an Iranian refugee living in Canada who runs a makeshift dog-sitting business while keeping her passion for dance alive through online classes for women in Iran.

The story begins when Atousa, a young actor from Iran, arrives in Toronto to visit her sister Beeta and celebrate her birthday. What begins as a short visit turns into an extended stay when a nationwide uprising erupts in Iran after months of digital blackout and a U.S.-led war. As debates over war, resistance, and the future of Iran divide communities around the world, the sisters find themselves on opposite sides of questions that are both political and deeply personal.

Even the dogs in Beeta’s care join the arguments, because in Nostos, the dogs can talk.

Seeking relief from the stress and uncertainty surrounding them, the sisters turn to an android designed to be impartial and rational. But in a world defined by competing narratives, can anyone, or anything truly remain neutral?

Inspired by Yaghoubi’s experiences within Toronto’s Iranian community during the turbulent months following the events of January 2026, Nostos blends satire, political commentary, fantasy, and dark humour to explore the human stories behind political conflict. The play gives voice to the hopes, fears, contradictions, and resilience of people living through a historic moment, while honouring those who risked their lives during the January 2026 uprising and the diaspora communities that worked tirelessly to amplify their voices around the world.

Presented by a creative team composed entirely of first-generation Iranian artists, the production features five female performers and combines contemporary storytelling with movement, humour, and political insight.

Nostos

Production Team

Playwright & Director: Mohammad Yaghoubi

Cast: Aida Keykhaii, Mahsa Ershadifar, Niloufar Davari, Paria Heravi, Tina Bararian

Choreographer: Tina Bararian

Set Designer: Amin Shirazi

Lighting Designer & Production Stage Manager: Rose Mohammadi

Sound Designer: Bardia Karbalaei

Assistant Director: Sara Adham

Poster Designer: Saman Farzaneh

Marketing Team: Bahram Rameh & Negin Moghadardoost

COMPANY BIOGRAPHIES

The Cast

Aida Keykhaii – Fidel

Aida Keykhaii is a Canadian Iranian Dora Award nominee actor and director, producer, theatre instructor with over a decade’s experience in the industry. She holds an M.A. in Theatre Directing and a B.A. in Acting from the University of Tehran. She is the co-founder of NOWADAYS THEATRE. Aida received excellent feedback from audiences and critics for her performances in the English premiere of “Winter of 88” at the Next Stage Theatre Festival 2020 and “Heart of a Dog” at the Next Stage Theatre Festival 2022. Her recent credits include the stage production Earworm at Crow’s Theatre and the feature film Afterlove. Aida is thrilled to be part of Nostos and to share this unique story with Fringe Festival audiences.

Select Theatre and Film Credits: ‘What we do in the Shadows’ (F.X.), ‘Coroner’ (CBC), ‘‘Fertility Slippers’, ‘Children of Fire’, ‘Heart of a Dog’, ‘Winter of 88’, ‘The Only Possible Way’, ‘Swim Team’, ‘The Pillowman’, ‘Iceland’ and ‘we are All fine’.

https://www.nowadaystheatre.org/aidakeikhaii-cv2/

Mahsa Ershadifar – Zaal

Mahsa Ershadifar is a bilingual (English/Farsi) performer, assistant director, stage manager, and translator whose work is deeply rooted in her long-standing collaboration with Nowadays Theatre Company. Her selected credits include productions with Canadian Stage, The Theatre Centre, Next Stage Theatre Festival, Crows Theatre, Factory Theatre, and Lighthouse Festival. Her work across these companies spans titles such as The Only Possible Way, Swim Team, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Winter of ’88, Migraaaants, Heart of a Dog, As I Must Live It, Anahita’s Republic, When Winter Stole the Sun, The New Canadian Curling Club, and Dance of Torn Papers.

Niloufar Davari – Shiraz
Niloufar Davari is a multidisciplinary performer, actor, and researcher based between Rome and Toronto. Her artistic practice spans film, physical theatre, devised performance, and interdisciplinary cultural projects. With a background in Lecoq-based physical theatre and contemporary performance, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts and a master’s degree in Theatre, Cinema, Dance and Digital Arts from Sapienza University of Rome.
Following her graduation, she continues to develop and deepen her artistic practice through collaborations and workshops with international practitioners and directors. Her work explores themes of migration, identity, and collective memory through collaborative and intercultural approaches. She has collaborated with directors, companies, and cultural organizations across Italy, Iran, Morocco, and Canada, while developing projects across theatre, research, and intercultural dialogue.

Parya Heravi – Atousa

Parya Heravi is an Iranian Canadian theatre actor. She graduated from the Shamayel Institute of Theatre in Iran in 2015 and began her professional career with Carbon Theatre Company in 2016. Since then, she has appeared in two short films and more than 15 stage productions in Iran, and received the Best Actress award at the Provincial Fajr Festival for her performance in Electra.

In Canada, she began working in English with Rubble by Beatriz Pizano (Aluna Theatre) at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto and later took part in the development workshop of Zahira by Andrew Moody. Earworm (Crow’s Theatre, 2024) written and directed by Mohammad Yaghoubi marked Parya’s first collaboration with Yaghoubi.

Tina Bararian – Beeta

Tina Bararian is an award-winning dancer and choreographer. She was the recipient of the “Contact Dance Award” sponsored by Kathleen Rea, founder of REAson d’être dance in Toronto, Canada. Tina holds degrees in Film Studies from York University and Dance Performance from George Brown College and completed her professional training in dance performance at the Martha Graham School in New York City. In 2022, she was selected for the Choreography Mentorship Program with Amanda Selwyn, where she developed her first evening-length piece, “Not Here”. This debut work earned her the “People’s Choice Artist Award” at Spoke The Hub Residency. In 2024, she premiered her second evening-length show, “57″, at The Tank Theater, where it received critical acclaim and led to her invitation to curate and choreograph for the International Human Rights Art Festival. Tina is the visionary founder of “Dancers of Iran”, a global platform supporting Iranian dancers in response to Iran’s ban on dance since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The Creative Team

Mohammad Yaghoubi – Playwright & Director

Born and raised in Iran, Mohammad Yaghoubi is a playwright, director, and screenwriter. After moving to Canada in 2015, he co-founded the Toronto-based NOWADAYS THEATRE company in 2016. His plays have been translated into seven languages and produced internationally, including in Canada, the US, France, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Russia, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Australia, and Kurdistan.

Recent credits include “Earworm” (Crow’s Theatre, 2024) and “Winter of 88” (Next Stage Theatre Festival, 2020).

Selected Awards:

• The Promising Pen Prize – Persimmon (Cahoots Theatre)
• Winner, New Play Contest – A Moment of Silence (Toronto Fringe)
• Iranian Playwrights Society Award – A Moment of Silence
• National Theatre Critics Society Awards – Outstanding Play (Drought & Lies), Outstanding Writing (Geraniums), Outstanding Direction (Dance of Torn Papers)
• Tehran Theatre Festival Award – Outstanding Direction & Writing (Winter of 88)

Rose Mohammadi – Production Stage Manager and Light Designer
Rose Mohammadi is an emerging Iranian theatre artist based in Toronto. Their work spans stage management, lighting design, and set design, with a focus on collaborative creation. They are particularly interested in theatre that explores migration, identity, displacement, and belonging. Their recent credits include work with Toronto Fringe Festival, Theatre Passe Muraille, Shadowland Theatre, and York University’s Glendon Theatre. Their practice is driven by a belief in theatre’s ability to build community and give voice to stories that might otherwise go unheard.

Amin Shirazi – Set Designer

Amin Shirazi is a theatre artist whose work bridges set design, directing, and playwriting. He began his artistic journey in 1997 as a co-founder of the university-based Namava Theatre Group, where he designed sets for multiple productions, including Siphon, presented at the 2003 Iran International University Theatre Festival. Since his debut as a set designer in 2001, visual storytelling has remained central to his practice. After moving to Canada, he co-founded Goussan Theatre Company in 2016, contributing to several productions while supporting collaborations with Iranian theatre artists. His first English play, 9428, written during a Geordie Theatre Company residency, won the 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival New Play Contest and was later presented at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2022. He was the set designer for Nowadays Theatre’s Earworm, and Nostos marks his second collaboration with the company.

Bardia Karbalaei – Sound Designer and Photographer
Bardia Karbalaei is a professional sound designer and recording engineer with an extensive international portfolio. His work spans major Hollywood productions, acclaimed Iranian cinema, and various global projects, bringing a rich, immersive auditory experience to the stage and screen.

Sara Adham – Assistant Director
Sara Adham is a Toronto-based artist, designer, and theatre practitioner. After immigrating to Canada in 2022, she began exploring theatre alongside her studies in Graphic Design at OCAD University. Her involvement in theatre started with 9428 at the 2022 Fringe Festival, where she contributed as a visual designer and Front of House team member. Since then, she has worked across multiple productions as a stage manager, project manager, and visual designer, including Stateless, Earworm, and We Are Being Watched in Toronto and Vancouver. Her practice is rooted in the intersection of design, performance, and storytelling, with a particular interest in creating meaningful experiences through visual and collaborative forms.

Show Dates:

Performance Schedule

Thursday, July 2, 2026 – 8:00 PM

Saturday, July 4, 2026 – 10:00 PM

Sunday, July 5, 2026 – 5:45 PM

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 – 5:15 PM

Wednesday, July 8, 2026 – 1:30 PM

Friday, July 10, 2026 – 12:15 PM

Saturday, July 11, 2026 – 6:00 PM

Where:

Michael Young Theatre (Soulpepper Theatre), 50 Tank House Lane, Distillery Historic District, Toronto, ON M5A 3C4

Duration: 75 Minutes