Majnoun @ the Lyric

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Majnoun blasts the popular western image of Iran through the roof. Using humorous snippets of everyday life the play explores the effects of modernisation that swept the country during the 20th century: Hollywood films, trilby hats and the forceful removal of the veil go hand in hand with the nature of love and the relationship between Iran and the West. A blend of cabaret and physical satire with touches of the absurd, the performance unfolds through a montage of visual installations and images against a soundscape of traditional Iranian and underground pop music.

The Anglo-Iranian cast includes Daniel Alexander, Ali Amadi and Betsabeh Emran; the director is Mehrdad Seyf, the designer Leslie Travers and lighting is by Flick Ansell. Majnoun is performed in both English and Farsi.

The run at Lyric Hammersmith is part of a national tour, which marks a major new step for 30 Bird Productions, the London based Anglo/Iranian film and theatre company established in 1995 by Mehrdad Seyf and Claire Summerfield. 30 Bird produce new writing using sculptural design and visual installations to create surprise out of the ordinary. Artistic Director Mehrdad Seyf works closely with award winning resident designer Leslie Travers developing each project through workshops, placing an emphasis on visual story telling, but without sacrificing the oral tradition.

30 Bird's previous productions include The Parable of the Blind, Death by
Heroine, and the documentary But You Speak Such Good English featuring Omid
Djalili.

Mehrdad Seyf was born in Tehran and has lived in the UK since his teens. After studying Literature and Philosophy, he trained as a psychoanalyst at the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research and subsequently worked for three years as an analyst. He trained as an actor/director with Complicite, Monica Pagneux, Rick Zoltoowski and Lorna Marshall. Mehrdad was recently Assistant Director to David Farr on the production of The Odyssey at Lyric Hammersmith.

Cambridge born Claire Summerfield trained as actor at Rose Bruford and with Complicite, Monica Pagneux, David Glass and De Le Guarda. She co-runs 30 Bird Productions with Mehrdad Seyf and has produced all their work to date.

Leslie Travers is an award winning designer whose work includes H Marschner's opera Hans Haling (winner of the European Opera Competition), Swan Lake and The Nutcracker for K-Ballet Tokyo (Asahi Award winner for choreography & design), Silent Cry for West Yorkshire Playhouse, Veriete for the Lindsay Kemp Company and The Lark Ascending for English National Ballet.

Majnoun is part of theMIX at Lyric Hammersmith. Eclectic and challenging; 2006 sees the second season of theMIX - a groundbreaking programme of new work in the Lyric Studio by some of the sharpest artists and companies making theatre today.

Majnoun

Lyric Hammersmith
Tues 18 - Sat 22 April 2006
Press Night Wed 19 April, 8pm
30 Bird Productions
Majnoun
By Mehrdad Seyf

Performance Schedule:
Tues 18 April 8pm
Wed 19 April 8pm
Thurs 20 April 8pm
Fri 21 April 8pm
Sat 22 April 8pm

Tickets:
Adults: £12
Concessions and under 16s: £7 (senior citizens, unwaged, registered disabled)
16-25s and Students: £6 (up to two tickets per booking, does not apply to school/college groups)
08700 500 511

March 20, 2006