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A Report on the British Premiere of Death of Yazdgerd: A Cross-cultural Adaptation?
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2022
Abstract
In the spring semester of 2010, the students of the module “Non Western Performances” at Loughborough University were directed by Sudipto Chatterjee to stage the UK premiere of Bahram Beyzaie's canonical play, Death of Yazdgerd (1979). The play, which was initially supposed to be a student-led workshop as part of the module's practice, took a life of its own and turned into a full-blown production. The production consisted of all the registered students of the module who formed the cast and the crew, the main tutor and director Sudipto Chatterjee, the co-tutor and dramaturge Proshot Kalam) and the two technical tutors (Dave Hill and Mark Simpson). The present essay is an attempt to analyze the cross-cultural aspects and the practical approaches undertaken by the crew for the production of the play.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- Iranian Studies , Volume 46 , Issue 5: Special Issue: Bahram Beyzaie's Cinema and Theater , September 2013 , pp. 791 - 810
- Copyright
- Copyright © The International Society for Iranian Studies 2013
References
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2 Please see Appendix 1 for the playbill and further information on the production.
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16 Of course, as specified above, the Miller, the Woman, and the Girl take turns to represent the King at different stages of the play.
17 Kalami, “Interview with Sudipto Chatterjee.”
18 Kalami, “Interview with Sudipto Chatterjee.”
19 Gilbert and Lo, “Toward a Topography,” 31.
20 Although the students were provided with the information, they realised that the passing is not the focal point of the play. Whether the information had helped them or not is a question that remains to be asked from the actors. However, it is revealing to know the type of curiosity that this group of young British actors had in the subject.
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24 The performance at UCL became possible with the support of Iran Heritage Foundation and UCL Mellon Programme provided through Dr Saeed Talajooy, the organizer of the UCL Symposium on Bahram Beyzaie.
25 Bharucha, Theatre and the World, 1.
26 Kalami, “Interview with Sudipto Chatterjee.”