TEHRAN –An Iranian troupe plans to perform a loose adaptation of Romanian-French playwright and novelist Matei Visniec’s play “Richard III Will Not Take Place” at Tehran’s Molavi Theater Hall on Monday.

Sajad Yari Firuzabadi is the director of the play, which has been translated by Asghar Nuri. 

Ahmad Afshari, Mahdis Ahmadian, Amin Mehran, Ali Chaichi and Melika Zare are the main members of the cast for the play, which will remain on stage until November 28. 

"Richard III Will Not Take Place” is a tragi-comedy play based on the last nightmare of director Vsevolod Meyerhold before his death in prison in 1940 in the Soviet Union. The play follows Meyerhold's attempt to stage a production of Shakespeare's "Richard III" while facing a Commission that judges the production's suitability.

Meyerhold is frustrated by the delay of the Commission's decision and is haunted by the character of Richard III, who questions why Meyerhold is making him sympathetic. Meyerhold explains that Richard III represents honest evil and doesn't use ideology to excuse his crimes.

The Soviet Union, in contrast, uses ideology to justify Stalin's personal crimes. Stalin also appears in the play, calling the production a "trial of history." The play is a mix of dream-play and stage productions of Richard III, blurring the line between reality and hallucination.

The trial of Richard III on stage parallels Meyerhold's own trial and eventual imprisonment. The play ends with Meyerhold's execution scene, staged on an empty stage with the prompter giving the command and typewriters clattering in the background. 

Visniec's play covers themes of power, manipulation, censorship, and the role of art in society in an entertaining way.

SAB/