TEHRAN – The one-act farce “Black Comedy” written by Peter Shaffer is being staged at Homa Theater in Tehran.
Hossein Omidi has directed the 90-minute play and performs in it along with Faraz Sarabi, Soudeh Sadaei, Mojdeh Mohammadi, Amirhossein Taheri, Mojtaba Rajabi Memar, Minoo Azarmgin, and Salar Barzegar.
In the play, struggling sculptor Brindsley Miller and his fiancé, Carol, are having a party with the aim of impressing Carol’s bombastic father, Colonel Melkett, and millionaire Georg Bamberger. They hope the two men might purchase some of Brindsley’s sculptures.
Without permission, they have borrowed the furniture of their fussy neighbor, Harold, to make their own flat more presentable. Just before the guests arrive, the main fuse blows, plunging the flat into darkness. What follows is a frantic romp with unexpected visitors, mistaken identities, and surprises lurking in every dark corner.
Only the audience can see the action that ensues in the dark. The results are chaotic, disastrous, and downright hysterical.
Inspired by a lamp gag the writer saw in Chinese theatre, a power cut in a south London flat is staged with blazing brightness representing total darkness and vice versa. When a match is struck, the lights dim; a light switch flicked on triggers instant blackout. This conceit requires the cast alternately to find their way unsighted around the stage and then lope and grope around as if they can’t see each other while we can.
Sir Peter Shaffer (1926 – 2016) was an English playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. His best-known works are the plays “Equus” (1973) and “Amadeus” (1979), both of which earned him the Tony Award for Best Play. They were later adapted for the screen by Shaffer himself in 1977 and 1984, respectively.
He was nominated for an Academy Award for both screenplays, winning for “Amadeus,” which also earned him a Golden Globe Award. Shaffer also earned nominations for two BAFTA Awards and a Laurence Olivier Award.
“Black Comedy” will be staged until October 22 at Homa Theater, located at Ziba Dead-End, Nofel Loshato St., Hafez St.
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