INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
TEHRAN- The Cinematheque of the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) is scheduled to screen a recorded stage performance of the Royal National
there will be a review session featuring Iranian theater critics Abbas Ghafari and Mohammad Najari.Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart lead the
drawing room of Hirst, an affluent, aging man
Hirst begins an evening of heavy drinking with an unnamed peer, who introduces himself as Spooner, a disheveled and talkative
As they drink, Spooner's incessant rambling becomes increasingly confrontational, mocking Hirst's masculinity and referencing his wife
younger domestic workers, Foster and Briggs, enter, they aimlessly chat and question Spooner, who now assumes a more subdued role
Hirst soon returns, struggling to recollect a recent dream involving someone drowning
His mental state deteriorates further, leading to more incoherent musings about a photo album that contains his "true friends." Spooner
unexpectedly claims to have been the one drowning in Hirst's dream, prompting Hirst to collapse again
Spooner rushes to assist Hirst, dismissing the other men, while they assert their responsibility to protect Hirst from "men of evil." The
act ends with Foster turning off the lights, creating an oppressive blackout.Later, Spooner attempts to leave but finds the door locked
Hirst soon arrives, mistaking Spooner for an old friend from their supposed Oxbridge days, leading to bizarre nostalgic conversations
As they engage in drinking and reminiscing, a complex dynamic develops with Spooner expressing both pity and a desire for employment from
and the passage of time as the lights fade to black.SAB/
