Persian love story, Dorr-e Dari, makes Melbourne premiere this September

Intimate storytelling and epic ballads from the streets of Kabul, Tehran and Quetta, via Western Sydney, form the foundation of Persian theatre work Dorr-e Dari: A Poetic Crash Course in the Language of Love which will make its Melbourne debut at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Fairfax Theatre from 2 – 3 September.

The bilingual show tunes in to a thousand-year strong tradition of courtly Persian love poetry from Western Sydney’s leading theatre company for young professional artists, PYT Fairfield.

Afghan-Australian hosts Mahdi Mohammadi, Jawad Yaqoubi and Hasiba Ebrahimi will guide audiences on the path to love – from getting caught in school writing love letters to the art of flirting, romance and forming relationships.

 

This is the first time the work has been shown to Melbourne audiences following its successful season at the 2021 Sydney Festival.

Jawad Yaqoubi Lamb Shorba:

People ask us about Dorr-e Dari and how we made the show for the Sydney Festival. Really, the answer is that we took the time to get to know each other. Mahdi, Bibi and I would gather in Merrylands with other members of the creative team. We would sit around the table, tell stories, recite poetry, and I would cook my favourite dish.

Inspired by the tradition of private recitals and ‘curtain shows’ performed throughout the Persian-speaking world, this rich and tender work demonstrates how there is a verse for every condition of the heart.

Exploring Persian-language cultural traditions in a contemporary Australian context, the work is theatrical, conversational and spiritual with audiences experiencing heavenly singing, joyous dancing, personal storytelling and sumptuous video imagery.

Dorr-e Dari not only invites audiences to experience the culturally diverse and rich cultures on their doorstep but to also consider how translation and interpretation of universal themes of love and relationships are celebrated and experienced across cultures over time.

Mahdi Mohammadi:

Dorr-e Dari’ means the ‘Pearl of Dari’, (Dari is the form of Persian language that many of us speak in Afghanistan). So, when we say ‘Dorr-e Dari’, it shows how precious our culture and language is. It has survived for thousands of years because we carry it in our hearts. And we need to keep on celebrating it, especially now, when our culture is in danger.

Special guest performers will appear on video phone calls from Afghanistan, Iran and Canada as they bring audiences into the charmed space of a poetry circle where, at least for a moment, any problem might be solved with a couplet.

A nuanced exchange of energy, emotion and ideas, driven by the heart…leaves a growing, glowing warmth – Sydney Morning Herald

Sequences can be naturalistic or theatrical, conversational or ceremonial, spiritual or didactical. Dorr-e Dari is unconstrained in the ways it wishes to communicate – Suzy Goes See

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Season Details

Venue: Fairfax Studio| Arts Centre Melbourne
Date: 2 – 3 Sept 2022

Photo Credit: Anna Kucera

For more information click HERE