Iran’s musical ‘War and Peace’ on stage
Iran’s musical ‘War and Peace,’ directed by Meysam Yousefi, offers a unique adaptation of William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ with no dialogue.
Yousefi believes that this performance has the potential to be a powerful representative of Iran on the international stage.
Yousefi shared the background of the production, stating, “Around two years ago, we collaborated with Marzieh Boroumand and Banafsheh Badeei to produce the musical ‘War and Peace’ with the participation of children from Yazd for the Tehran Puppet Theater Festival. In the spring of 2021, we staged the public performance at the City Theater, but due to the surging COVID-19 pandemic, it was forced to halt on multiple occasions”.
Highlighting the uniqueness of the musical show, Yousefi explained, “This performance breaks away from traditional norms as it solely relies on the language of music, presenting a dialogue that transcends cultural boundaries.”
Describing the essence of the play, Yousefi expressed, “The essence of ‘War and Peace’ lies in its interpretation of William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ employing classical and traditional instruments to portray the fictional characters. The romantic tale of Romeo and Juliet unfolds through a symphony of classical and traditional sounds”.
Emphasizing the significance of the production, Yousefi stated, “’War and Peace’ is a 40-minute melodic drama that stands in stark contrast to William Shakespeare’s tragic masterpiece. It conveys a profound musical message and has the potential to effectively represent Iran on the global stage.
The performance commenced on June 11 and will captivate audiences until July 7.