Act III, Scene IV

Act III, Scene IV exposes the fragile dynamics of an artist couple, Setareh and Hootan. Both actors use Hamlet’s dialogues to avoid direct confrontation, channeling their emotions through the characters they play. As they immerse themselves in the complex relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude, they are forced to face painful truths about their own weakening bond. The deeper they enter this shared roleplay, the more they drift apart. In the end, Hootan’s decision to leave Setareh mirrors Hamlet’s line, “I must to England, you know that?” — a moment where art and reality collide, revealing the fragility of relationships and the power of performance to reflect inner truths.

How can theatre use media to problematize space and human connection?
In our exploration, we focus on how the space in which a relationship unfolds shapes its complexity. Just as Setareh and Hootan’s home no longer feels like a sanctuary, Elsinore in Hamlet shifts from a private refuge to a place of deep insecurity.

To highlight this, we built a connection between the couple’s home and the roles they inhabit on stage. Using an empty stage, the actors move through an abstract space while projections of their real home overlay the environment, drawing the audience into this layered world where theatre and cinema converge. The audience becomes part of this layered world.

Through this contemporary interpretation of Hamlet and Gertrude, the fragile and intricate relationship between Setareh and Hootan comes to life. Space, media, and emotion intertwine, revealing the hidden truths of human connection.

• 8th Asia-Pacific Bureau (APB) Theatre Schools Festival and Directors’ Conference, Lasalle University, Singapore – June 2015
• Tehran City Theatre, Qashqai Hall, Tehran, Iran – July and August 2016

• Hootan Shakiba
• Setareh Pessyani

Duration
50 Minutes

• Performances: 16
• Audience: ~1,600

• Production Manager: Mohammad Ghods
• Producer: Tazeh Theatre Group