Eugène Ionesco’s“Exit the King” adapted into Iranian play
Iran Theater-Eugene Ionesco’s play adapted into an Iranian traditional play.
Mohammad- Javad Kabodur- Ahangi has staged the play " Exit the King " by Eugene Ionesco in the form of an Iranian Ru Howzi play.
Exit the King (French: Le Roi se meurt) is an absurdist drama by Eugène Ionesco that premiered in 1962. It is the third in Ionesco's "Berenger Cycle", preceded by The Killer (1958) and Rhinocéros (1959), and followed by A Stroll in the Air (1963).
"Iranian show" has a broader concept than theater and includes all field performances, street performances, puppets, Pardeh-khaani, Naqqali, Ta'zieh, Siah Bazi, Ru howzi which originate from popular culture and rituals. In addition to content, "Iranian show" has many differences with the universal concept of theater.
Sometimes, Iranian artists rewrites the plays of famous author from the perspective of "Iranian drama" and stage different performances. One of them is "Sultan Never Dies", which is based on the play "Exit the King" and has been on stage in the form of the Iranian play ,siah bazi, at Tehran's Sangelaj Theater Hall.
The play "Sultan Never Dies", written and composed by Mohammad- Javad Kabodur Ahangi, opens on April 23, 2024.
On the opening night the director said: "I adapted the play Exit the King by Eugene Ionesco according to the potential of happy Iranian shows and humor of Mubarak's character in the form of Ru Howzi."
He added: "This play is staged with the group of veteran and educated artists as Morshed Mehdi Chayani, Mohammad Adel Gholami and Tahereh Bahrami."