Chah / Badan
(The Well / The Body)

CHAH / BADAN (The Well / The Body) is a multidisciplinary theatre production that explores the intersection of historical memory, political repression and the female body as a territory of resistance. The performance places the audience within a liminal space—a symbolic well—where contemporary trauma and ancient myth converge, constantly reshaping the experience of women across cultures and generations.

Through a non-linear narrative, the protagonist moves between the identities of iconic female figures such as Medea, Antigone, Sati, Qamar-ol Molouk Vaziri and Tahereh Qurrat al-Ayn. Using puppets inspired by the Iranian theatrical tradition, she uncovers testimonies and acts of defiance, revealing how women’s bodies have historically become archives of oppression under the weight of political and religious dogma. Grounded in an intensely physical stage language, the performance transforms the “well” of silence into a space of revelation.

At its core, CHAH / BADAN embodies the enduring nature of resistance, tracing a path from historical wounds to the contemporary cry of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement.

The production marks the return of theatre director and journalist Hossein Zoghi to the stage after a ten-year ban imposed by the Iranian regime. Now living in exile, he reunites with acclaimed writer, literary critic and screenwriter Mahsa Mohebali, who was likewise censored and silenced in Iran, to create a work that bears witness to the transformative power of artistic freedom.