Shakespeare's King Lear with rock music, light show in reimagining by Iranian director

South China Morning Post

01-06-2025

An Iranian director is breathing new life into William Shakespeare's King Lear with a bold staging in Tehran infused with rock music and a dazzling light show to attract younger audiences.
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In Iran, artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians and playwrights must walk a tightrope to avoid censorship of content the authorities deem inappropriate.
But despite political tensions between Tehran and the West, many international works still make it to the Iranian stage.
Now, well-known actress Elika Abdolrazzaghi has taken on the challenge of reimagining King Lear for a contemporary audience.
'If I had staged the original version, it would have been too heavy for people – they would have been bored,' the 45-year-old said.
Abdolrazzaghi says that she turned many word-heavy sections of the play into movement, imagery, music and dance. Photo: AFP
To inject energy into the performance, Abdolrazzaghi has incorporated music from British rock band Muse and German industrial metal group Rammstein.