TEHRAN-The play “The Midnight Library,” loosely adapted from the namesake fantasy novel written by Matt Haig has begun its second round of performances at Malek Theater in Tehran.

Following a highly successful first run last winter, which attracted 15,000 spectators over 70 nights and became one of the most-watched plays of the year, “The Midnight Library” started its second round of performances on April 16 at the same venue and continues to receive enthusiastic audience response, IRNA reported.

In the first round of the performance, Niki Mozaffari played the lead role; however, she has been replaced with Mona Farjad who joins Mohammad Shabanpour on stage.

The 70-minute play has been directed by Mohammad Malekshahi based on a script written by Mojtaba Golestani and Nima Nafe.

Originally published in 2020, the novel follows a 35-year-old English woman unhappy in her dead-end life who is given the opportunity to experience lives she might have had if she had made different choices.

When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.

During the night, she tries to kill herself but ends up in a library managed by her school librarian. The library is between life and death with millions of books filled with stories of her life had she made some decisions differently.

The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren't always what she imagined they'd be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger.

Before time runs out, she must answer the ultimate question: what is the best way to live?

“The Midnight Library” was shortlisted for the 2021 British Book Awards “Fiction Book of the Year”.

Matt Haig, 49, is an English author and journalist. He has written both fiction and non-fiction books for children and adults, often in the speculative fiction genre.

His other novels include “How to Stop Time,” “The Humans,” “The Radleys, “and “The Life Impossible”. He has also written books for children, such as “A Boy Called Christmas” and the memoir “Reasons to Stay Alive”.

The second round of “The Midnight Library” performance will remain on stage at Malek Theater, located at Malek St., Shariati St., through May 22.

Photo: Mona Farjad (L) and Mohammad Shabanpour in “The Midnight Library”

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