TEHRAN - The play “Umbilical Cord,” written and directed by Iranian director Mostafa Pouryousef, has returned to the stage in Istanbul, Turkey.

According to Sara Haddadi, the executive producer and head of public relations of the play, it was staged on June 28 at İkincikat Theater and will have another performance on June 29.

The production is performed in Turkish. The Iranian cast includes Saghar Khamseh, Asma Jamshidi, Amir Janani, Mostafa Pouryousef, and Parla Ardabili, who is also the translator of the play into Turkish.

The synopsis of the play reads: A family lives in an unspecified area. To escape the surrounding conditions, they have locked themselves inside their home. A military officer enters their home under these circumstances and ends up living with them for years. Their supplies are running out, and they face a dilemma: whether to stay inside or go out.

Focusing on the experience of migration, identity, and emotional ties, the play aims to tell a universal story with a human perspective.

The play was earlier staged in Istanbul in November and December 2024 and February 2025, and was met with a warm reception from both Iranian and Turkish audiences and also earned praise from professors at Turkey’s theater universities.

So far, many artists and notable figures such as Professor Münip Melih Korukcu from Istanbul Aydın University, musician and visual artist Monika Bolanda, and actress Burcu Salihoğlu have attended the performance, among others.

SS/SAB