Under the Shadow is a timely drama set in Tehran in 1988 during the Iran-Iraq war. Saddam’s missiles are raining down on the city which puts an additional strain on the troubled marriage of Iraj and Shideh. Iraj is a doctor. Shideh is a part-qualified doctor. During quiet spells, they chat about humdrum stuff. Iraj wants Shideh to have another baby. Shideh prefers to leap around doing her Jane Fonda exercises. Her mother-in-law potters in and out and fusses over bits of crockery. Their daughter snuggles on a sofa with a rag doll. The low-energy dialogue flits from one issue to the next without any sense of direction. The characters tell each other jokes to pass the time.
The production is as forgettable as a daydream
An air raid begins and they gather in the underground bunker with their dreary neighbours. As the bombs fall, they tell each other more jokes. Mr Bijari, a philosopher, cheers everyone up with his personal mantra. ‘What will be will be.’ A foul stench fills the shelter. Is a chemical weapon about to kill them? Mr Bijari explains that he has just emptied his bowels into his trousers. ‘What will be will be,’ he repeats.
Most popular
The perfect two words to describe this zombie parliament
