Imagine a life where every meaningful decision was weighed up against the wisdom of the poets. Whether to marry and start a family? Whether to speak out against religious extremists? Whether to get on a boat or whether to stay in the hope that you might be picked for the UNHCR resettlement program?

Growing up as members of the great diaspora of Hazara people, artists Mahdi and Jawad are heirs to a tradition of courtly love poetry, religious mysticism, popular ballads and ecstatic dances that has endured for over a thousand years.

Dorr-e Dari: A Poetic Crash Course in the Language of Love is a new theatre work, developed with PYT Fairfield and inspired by the practice of recitals and ‘curtain shows’ that takes place in private homes and tea-houses all through Iran, Afghanistan and other parts of Central Asia. During Adhocracy the creative team will explore dramaturgy and design of this new work alongside questions about how it acts in dialogue with an audience.

Image: Alex Wisser

FULL PROGRAM AVAILABLE HERE