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The Tale of Tiger Theater Performance Review

Hamid Reza Ghanbari

The Tale of Tiger is written by Dario Fo and directed by Hadi Amel.

The Tale of Tiger is a monologue comedy, and was written by Dario Fo Italian satirist. He was born in political family and his view has impact on his works. In performance by Hadi Amel the liberal thoughts of playwright and social conditions of present time is showed to the audience in a local form. As for Iranian audience it doesn’t care if the story is Iranian or not, though it happens in China. The Tale of Tiger is the story of wounded soldier from China’s war and he has sheltered in to the cave but there is a tigress with its cub. The cohabitation of soldier and tiger resulted in friendship and finally the tiger protects the village of soldier against enemy’s attack and looting. Dario Fo is inspired by Chinese fable in this story. He had traveled to China in 1975 and the Idea ignited his mind. In the Tale of the Tiger the theme is to revive life. The Chinese soldier is close to death when he is bleeding and hurt as his companions wanted to shoot him to set him free from this pain. But the soldier’s resistance to survive and to take shelter into cave gives him rebirth. He eats the milk of tigress and uses its spit to cure his wound and disinfection. At last, by the power of fire, soil and water as a human in harmony with nature he enters the society that doesn’t believe in him. Nature is reflected in the tigress. However, the governors of bigger society introduce tigress as the cause of anger, fear, worry. But the tigress is the reason of unite, blessing, bravery and victory.

The play has a key sentence: Hope you also find your own tiger.

In the structure of performance Hadi Amel and Hedayat Hashemi, the actor, present a contemporary play for today’s audiences.

Using Naghali for monologue is so appropriate and effective. Also using improvisation based on the number of spectators and type of them can make them more connected to the play. The energetic, comfortable and though complicated acting by Hedayat Hashemi can maintain the performance live and joyful to the end. Costume design is also intelligent. If the music group didn’t play in light, it wouldn’t distract the audience at any moment. The Tale of Tiger is using minimum performing facilities without any especial make up, light or set design but it is based on creativity of director and actor. It’s a good comedy that can make different audience laugh.

 




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