Writing in the Dark

Writing in the Dark captures Mohammad Yaghoubi’s deep commitment to the Eight Playwrights’ Statement of 2009, addressing themes of censorship and personal trauma. After several underground performances, the play eventually received official permission to be staged.

The story follows Nima, a photographer and journalist who is arrested for documenting the 2009 protests. Following his release and under the weight of his experiences, Nima ultimately takes his own life.

Yaghoubi’s use of projection goes beyond a mere visual tool; the projections act as a narrator, bridging the gap between theatre and literature. Through typography and imagery, they convey parts of the story that cannot be shown on stage—such as sensitive interrogation scenes that had been censored. These projections invite the audience to imagine the story, connecting with the unseen and censored moments on stage.

Due to censorship, we as actors were unable to directly portray sensitive scenes, such as torture, on stage. Instead, we employed Brechtian Theatre Techniques to narrate these moments. This shift from action to narrative storytelling not only offered the audience a fresh perspective but also prompted them to question the reality of censorship within our performance. It compelled viewers to critically reflect on the hidden truths and consequences of what remained unseen.

This experience highlighted how the form of a performance can carry political weight more profoundly than its content. It inspired me to design parts of the Performative Inquiry workshop.

• Tehran City Theatre, Chaharsoo Hall, Tehran, Iran – October and November 2010

• Mehdi Pakdel
• Ayda Keykhaei
• Ali Sarabi
• Masoumeh Rahmani
• Masoud Mirtaheri
• Mojgan Khaleghi
• Mohammad Asgari
• Ashkan Kheilnejad

Duration
120 Minutes

• Performances: 35
• Audience: ~5,000

• Producer: Nowadays Theatre