Under a railway arch, down a back alley way near Vauxhall station is Britain's only venue dedicated to theatre on gay, lesbian and transgendered themes. Largely ignored by the mainstream press and unfunded it none the less is a powerhouse of exciting theatre. Their current production HARAM IRAN is a blistering example of the venue at its best.It tells the horrific true story of two young teenagers, little more than kids, who were hanged in Iran for supposed immorality. Pressure groups are keen that the case is seen as an example of the regimes abuse of children rather then purely a homophobic act of retribution but, although precise details of the boys lives are patchy, it's clear that suspicions about their sexuality fuelled the prosecution.
The human rights lawyer Jay Paul Deratany, who specialises in defending children was inspired to write a play about the case, filling in the gaps in what's known about the incident with fictional characterisations. He does a terrific job of drawing us into the world of a pubescent male friendship which tips, as such intense relationships do, towards the physical. The intimacies that the two main characters enjoy are fleeting, consensual and loving. It is only when they're dragged to gaol that brutality and rape enter the equation as these children are abused by their hypocritical captors, representatives of the hard-line regime that claims to frown on homosexuality.
Under the assured and sensitive direction of Gene David Kirk, whose beautifully staged production of THE SUM OF US was such a hit last season, the younger cast members excel.
Viraj Juneja is extremely watchable as the sensitive, fledgling intellectual who finds himself falling in love with his best friend and Andrei Costin beautifully conveys the complexities of discovering his sexual identity and the purity and intensity of what follows. Experiences common to any young gay man. Indeed the first act with its blossoming romance and fumbled encounters within a macho football obsessed society could be transposed to any modern city and has a great deal in common with the classic "coming out" play BEAUTIFUL THING. In both plays mothers are prominent influences and in HARAM IRAN Silvana Maimone brings great dignity to the maternal figure who once studied in Paris but must now subsume her idealism under Iran's strict laws and customs.
Much as I'd love to give the production five stars the writing in Act 2 gets very episodic and clunky and I'd have preferred events to match what actually happened a little more precisely, however the production remains impeccable with another stunning set design from the venues resident designer, David Sheilds.
Highly recommend.
If you like your theatre robust, raucous and rollicking then the National Theatre’s adaptation of Nikolai Erdman’s classic comedy is a must see. And on the evidence of the audience’s reaction on Press Night, the party atmosphere was infectious.