RUMI

Iranian director Berhouz Gharibpour can rightfully be called the creator of the original opera genre - Persian puppet opera, based on the authentic poetic and musical tradition of Iran, which has been preserved through many generations by oral tradition. In his puppet operas, Gharibpour uses the traditional Iranian singing style and draws inspiration from Ta'zieh, sort of a Persian passion play, a dramatic form adapted from the religious ceremonies. Gharibpour brought this old genre to life and introduced it to theatre audiences abroad.

Behrouz Gharibpour's most iconic production, “Rumi”, tells the story of the 13th-century Sufi mystic poet and philosopher Mawlana Rumi, who is revered as a saint in both Iran and Turkey. He is the author of thousands of spiritual couplets and the poem "Masnavi" that has been commonly called "the Quran in Persian". The story of Rumi's momentous encounters with the ancient Attar and the poet Shams-e Tabrizi, his teacher and eternal source of inspiration, is presented on stage by "singing" life-size puppets, each masterfully operated by several puppeteers.

The musical score of the play is largely based on the traditional Persian system of melodic figures, and the movements of the puppets are interwoven with elements of the ancient ritual dance sama (the dance of Sufi dervishes, 10th-11th centuries).