Words: Katie McCulloch

4 stars

The piece dissects the true mystery of Iranian pop sensation Fereydoun Farrokhzad’s death in 1992. Fereydoun Farrokhzad is referred to as Iran’s equivalent of Sir Tom Jones – he was prolific in his country for his popular music. He was celebrated for his charisma and voice, however, chastised later in his career for his political views. His views of the Islamic Republic led to his imprisonment and escape to Germany where he was murdered, and the case left unsolved….

This astutely crafted show is spliced in formats of a murder mystery podcast, lecture, and thrilling storytelling. The set design by Ben Brockman is ingenious and the live music compositions by Me-Lee Hay harmonise this investigative piece in a hauntingly beautiful way. Alipoor hosts as an affable lecturer who deep dives into Wikipedia and how we absorb information. Similar to the plays title, Alipoor’ sentences sometimes teeter on being too long winded. The play mostly sits and grips in a quiet, edge of the seat profoundness.

This is a striking show designed to inform and challenge its viewer. How we make assumptions about the human race; from the lack of or authenticity of the information we take in is explored. Raam Emami (also known as King Raam) brings comedy and compassion to his real-life stories of suffering. Asha Reid is winsomely cast as the podcaster. Alipoor and the company succeed in divulging into a very special story.

Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World
Traverse Theatre, Traverse 1
Various Times
20, 22-27 Aug