“Guinea Pigs” coming to Tehran theater
“Guinea Pigs” coming to Tehran theater
French writer Sebastien Thiery’s play “Guinea Pigs” will go on stage at Tehran’s Mehregan Theater on Wednesday.

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Sebastien Thiery’s “Guinea Pigs” coming to Tehran theater . French writer Sebastien Thiery’s play “Guinea Pigs” will go on stage at Tehran’s Mehregan Theater on Wednesday.

Starring Negar Azizi, Mohammad Baratali, Faezeh Sanai, Laleh Heshmatpasand and Amir-Hossein Naeimi, the play will be directed by Ramin Dowlatabadi based on a translation by Sanaz Fallahfard.

The play tells the story of Alain Kraft, a fifty-something nouveau riche, who comes to withdraw money from his bank.

The bank clerk cannot give him his money because his account is blocked. Alain Kraft gets angry, especially since the bank doors are also locked.

The Bank of India management who has bought the CIF, charges Mr. Kraft with breaking Indian law by changing his social class.

His success, of which he is so proud, is considered an offense in India. The customer’s arrogance quickly gives way to concern and anxiety when he understands that he is trapped in a world over which he has no control.

Corruption, threats, lies… close to hysteria, Alain Kraft tries to get out of this nightmare using any means. This farce, set against a backdrop of globalization, shows us a middle-class man whose certainty and arrogance end up gradually crumbling away when he is faced with a situation that is beyond his control.

Thiéry’s comedy play “Who’s Mr. Schmitt?” (“Qui est Monsieur Schmitt?”) was also staged by director Mohammad-Mehdi Rezaian at Tehran’s Shano Theater in August 2020.

Published in 2009, the play is about Mr. and Mrs. Bélier, who are having dinner in their home when they are interrupted by a phone call. While they have no phone service, the caller insists on speaking with Mr. Schmitt.

The Béliers find out the interior of their apartment has changed, the frames hanging on the walls have been replaced by others, books and clothes are not theirs. They start thinking maybe they are Mr. and Mrs. Schmitt.

“Who’s Mr. Schmitt?” has been staged by several Iranian directors over the past decade.

Davud Rashidi directed the play at the Samandarian Hall of the Iranian Theater Forum in 2011.

In 2015, Nader Naderpur’s troupe performed it at Tehran’s Arasbaran Cultural Center.

In 2019, Iranian director Sohrab Salimi staged the play at the Abbas Javanmard Hall of the Iranian Theater Forum.

Qatreh published a Persian translation of “Who’s Mr. Schmitt?” by Shahla Haeri in 2017.