Dario Fo’s Comedy at Iranshahr

The comedy ‘Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay!’ directed by Hadi Amel-Hashemi is underway at Nazerzadeh Hall of Iranshahr Theater in Tehran.

It is an adaptation of the 1974 play written by the Italian actor, playwright and theater director Dario Fo (1926-2016), with slight alterations for the performance in Iran, Honaronline reported.

Regarded as Fo’s best-known play internationally, it documents the refusal to comply with price increases of essential commodities during the severe economic crisis in Italy, when women of a neighborhood would take what they wanted from the markets by only paying for what they could afford.

Amel-Hashemi first staged the play in 2012 at the Entezami Hall of Iranian Artists Forum. It became the best-selling performance at the hall that year. “The show will undoubtedly be welcomed again by the audience,” he said.

The theater director who is interested in the Italian playwright’s works said he focused on Fo’s works and “has studied him extensively.” He has directed Fo’s ‘The Tale of a Tiger’ earlier and plans to work on his ‘Corpse for Sale’ next year.

Shiva Ebrahimi, Labkhand Badiee, Hedayat Hashemi, Ali Amel-Hashemi and Seyed Ali Salehi are the cast.

The play will be on stage until January 19, at Iranshahr Theater, located at Art Garden, N. Mousavi St., Taleqani Avenue.