TEHRAN-The Play “The Mother” by French playwright Florian Zeller has been staged in Isfahan since Monday.

Yaser Paymani has directed the 80-minute play that is performed at the Farshchian Cultural and Art Complex in Isfahan.

Mojgan Navaei, Mehdi Taghipur, Reza Mohammadian, and Mona Abushahab are the four members of the cast.

First published in 2019, the play tells the story of Anne who loved the time when she prepared breakfast each morning for her two young children, Sara and Nichola. Years later, her children have grown up and have lives and loves of their own. Spending hours alone, Anne convinces herself that her husband is having an affair.

“The Mother” is a compelling and moving production that will leave the audience questioning the very nature of reality.

Zeller, 44, is a French novelist, playwright, theater director, screenwriter, and film director. He has written over a dozen plays, that have been staged worldwide and have made him one of the most celebrated contemporary playwrights.

His work has been translated into a dozen languages, including English and Persian. He won the Prix Interallié in 2004 for his novel “Fascination of Evil”.

His black comedy “The Father” is one of the outstanding hits of recent years, playing in London's West End to ecstatic five-star reviews and winning several awards and nominations in Paris, London, and New York. Zeller wrote and directed his first film, 2020's “The Father,” based on his play of the same name, starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman. The film received more than 200 nominations and awards, all over the world, including two Oscars at the 93rd Academy Awards. Since then, it has been cited as one of the best films of the 2020s and the 21st century.

In his plays, Zeller tackles the theme of lies and truth. He often tries to resolve the eternal dilemma within one’s family circle that is believed to be most open and receptive in embracing the truth. However, it often transpires that one’s family tends to be subjected to lies and deception. In today’s world, people are inundated by fake news spread deliberately by social networks allowing individuals to achieve political goals and gain social influence. The truth is becoming increasingly relative, not only in the metaphysical, Rashomon-like sense, but objectively too: facts are being falsified, and lies are being circulated.

“The Mother” will remain on stage until June 27 at the Farshchian Cultural and Art Complex in Isfahan.

SS/SAB