Tehran – The second round of performances of “The Suicide Shop,” directed by Hossein Nasiri, will be performed at Homa Theatre Hall in Tehran from July 8th.
The loose adaptation of French novelist Jean Teuret’s “The Suicide Shop,” with the same name, was previously performed at the same venue in February, Mehr reported.
Davoud Geravand, Mahtab Keyvanjou, Arezou Sarraf Rezaei, Reza Hemati, Yeganeh Vaqefi, Elnaz Shakeri, Arezou Akbari and Mojdeh Mokhtari are in the cast.
“The Suicide Shop” is a black comedy novel published in 2006. It is set in an almost apocalyptic city that tackles the serious consequences of climate change. The story unfolds in a world that reflects the harsh atmosphere surrounding the characters.
At the heart of this novel is the Tuvache family. The name is inspired by three famous suicides. His father was called Mishima and pays tribute to Japanese author Yukio Mishima. His eldest son, Vincent Tvacci, takes his name from troubled artist Vincent van Gogh. Her daughter, Marilyn Tuvacci, reflects the iconic actress, Marilyn Monroe. Their young son, Alan, named after the brilliant mathematician Alan Turing, stands out as the only ray of hope for a family that has settled in despair.
Tuvaches operates a store specializing in suicide tools and provides customers with strict products and instructions, aiming to end their lives in an environment characterized by despair.
But Alan is born with an unwelcome spark of optimism that disrupts the family’s melancholy embrace. His brothers, Vincent and Marilyn, are working on their own existential issues, but are preventing Alan from thwarting their aggressiveness. Vincent is a weak person, consumed by his creativity in designing the shop’s grumpy inventory, and Marilyn fights obesity and dislikes her presence.
As the story unfolds, Alan’s essential joy gradually changes family dynamics and challenges the widespread darkness that envelops them. The family’s attempt to bring Allain back to a sarcastic worldview ultimately fails.
With an incredible twist, over time, suicide shops evolve into novel shops, abandoning their pathological roots and finding unexpected vitality. Paradoxically, despite his uplifting influence on his family, Alan’s journey culminates in tragedy. He decides to take his life and realizes that others have rejected despair and provided a purpose in accepting life.
The novel’s unique premise also influenced the animated adaptation directed by Patrice Leconte. Critics praise Teure’s work, noting the careful balance between humor and gloomy themes. In a review of Le Figaro, Mohammed Aissaoui mentioned the author’s clever touch, combining de and imagination to deal with such heavy subjects.
Jean Teulé (1953-2022) was an illustrator, filmmaker and television presenter. He is also an award-winning author for over 20 books, including “Montespanmunshu despan.”
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