TEHRAN – New Zealand dramatist Eric Bradwell’s play “There Is No Return” on the aftermath of wars is being performed in the form of a stage reading at the Javanmard Hall of the Iranian Theater Forum.

The story of the play is about the Forrester family, who assume they have lost their eldest son in the war. Every year on his birthday, the mother lights a candle in her son’s memory and places it near his photo in their home. However, his brother Gerald and sister Jodith know very little about their presumably deceased brother. 

Meanwhile, the warrior who had been assumed to have been dead by the family returns home from a sanatorium on his birthday. Regrettably, the soldier is blind and has lost his memory. While Gerald wants to banish him from their home, Jodith is impressed from talking with him, as she sees a resemblance between him and the photo in their home. But in the end, after having been seen by his entire family, the soldier departs unrecognized.

“People from every walk of life are deeply affected by the impacts of wars,” director Bahman Vakhshour told the Tehran Times before staging the first reading on Tuesday night.

“As with my previous works, through this play, I intend once again to present the ugly image of war,” he added.

Vakhshour also plays the role of Philip Forrester, the father of the family, while Mona Dabir-Aslani, Fariba Qolibaklu, Sajjad Qatei, Sayeh Kabiri and Sadeq Vafai are other members of the cast.

The troupe has previously performed a radio adaptation of the play, which has been translated by Hushang Hesami.

They will perform two more readings on Wednesday and Thursday.

The play has previously been performed by several other Iranian groups. Mehdi Mayami directed the play for three weeks at the Entezami Hall of the Iranian Artists Forum in October and November 2016.

Photo: A poster for Eric Bradwell’s play, “There Is No Return”, on stage at the Iranian Theater Forum.

MMS/YAW