TEHRAN-The play “A Behanding in Spokane” by British-Irish playwright Martin McDonagh is being performed at Shahrzad Theater Complex in Tehran.

Renamed “Invitation to a Behanding,” the 70-minute play is directed by Eila Tehrani and has Alireza Jalali-Tabar, Mohammad Naderi, Vida Javan, and Mohammad-Hadi Atai in the cast.

It is a 2010 black comedy play set in the fictional town of Tarlington, Ohio. it is McDonagh's first play to be set in the United States.

The play is about a mysterious man named Carmichael who has been searching for his missing left hand for 27 years. Two bickering lovebirds, Toby and Marilyn, claim to have his long-ago severed appendage and look to collect the reward that Carmichael is offering for its return. An eccentric hotel clerk, Mervyn, gets in the middle of the transaction, and his presence threatens to spoil the proceedings.

Martin McDonagh, 54, is known for his absurdist dark humor which often challenges the modern theater aesthetic. He has won numerous accolades including an Academy Award, six BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and three Olivier Awards, with nominations for five Tony Awards.

Shahrzad Theater Complex, located at No. 76, Neauphle-le-Château St., Hafez St., will host the play until August 31.

SS/SAB