A show 'Pinnochia', directed by Shohreh Lorestani, well-known cinema and TV actor and dramatist, is being staged at Iranshahr Theatre Hall in Tehran.
Originally written by Stefano Benni, Italian satirical writer, the play is a free adaptation of the fiction 'Pinnochio', based on the children's novel 'The Adventures of Pinocchio' (1883), written by Italian Carlo Collodi.
Carved by a woodcutter Geppetto in a small Italian village, Pinnochio was created as a wooden puppet but dreamed of becoming a real boy. He has often been used as a character prone to telling lies and fabricating stories.
On the other hand, being surreal, Benni's adaptation is loosely based on the famous tale of Collodi. The play narrates the story of a woman-puppet-robot, built by a solitary and grumpy Geppetto, who seeks a friend in her.
"The staging is ironic," Lorestani said, adding: "The female character manages to create a fun character and at the same time complicated, that combine human feelings and mechanical artificiality," Iran Theatre website reports.
Pinnochia is not a satire, but can make the audience smile. "Absolute humor ruins other dimensions of the story," said Lorestani.
Sadegh Maleki, Parastoo Golestani, Mohammad Naderi, Pouria Rahimi-Saam and Behrouz Panahandeh, well-known theatre performers, are the cast. 'The Adventures of Pinocchio' has appeared in many adaptations in other media. Pinocchio has been called an icon of modern culture and one of the most re-created characters in the pantheon of children's literature.
The play will run through September 11.
