TEHRAN -- For the first time in Iran, a performance of bunraku theater was staged by Maryam Sa’adat at Tehran’s Banu Cultural Center on July 23.

Bunraku is a form of Japanese puppet show in which puppeteers, dressed in black and visible to the audience, manipulate large puppets to the accompaniment of a chanted narration and musical instruments.

“A long time ago, I planned to stage this kind of show in Iran and now it has come true with the help of the producer, Shahla Valizadeh, and the work was ready in three weeks,” actress Sa’adat, who also directed the puppet shows, told the Mehr News Agency on Monday.

The show, which runs until the end of summer, is performed with 10 puppets, all in the form of insects. It is geared toward children and adolescents.

“This type of show is like a concert, but it is not as serious as other ordinary concerts in which a singer croons and players perform. However, it has its unique attractions,” Sa’adat explained.

The music for the bunraku theater performances has been composed by Keivan Kiaras, and Mohammad Bahrani, Soltan Mohammadi, Delaram Mostofi, and Mani Sharifi sing the lyrics written by Amir Soltan-Mohammadi.

The Banu Cultural Center is located on Saei Alley, Vali-e Asr Ave.