Ghasedak & Hobab

Ghasedak & Hobab Ghasedak & Hobab is a multidisciplinary performance bringing together Persian dramatic storytelling, movement, choreography and music. Created by Dr Elnaz Sheshgelani, theatre maker, choreographer and educator, with music by Dr Shervin Mirzeinali and Mahya Panahi, bringing together electronics and tanbour. The work is based on the story of the same name by renowned screenwriter, thinker and dramatist Naseh Kamgari. At its heart, Ghasedak & Hobab is a manifesto for hope in the difficult realities of contemporary human life. Keeping hope alive and finding ways to communicate with it are at the core of a work exploring connection, vulnerability and the possibility of moving forward. The choreography creatively connects literary archetypes in the text with their representation through calligraphy and the alphabet of Avestan, an ancient Iranian language used to write the Avesta, the sacred collection of Zoroastrian texts. Avestan letters inspire the movement, scale and composition of the performance, bringing ancient knowledge into dialogue with contemporary practice. Through movement, electronics and tanbour, Ghasedak & Hobab offers a contemporary discovery alongside ancient knowledge, guided by a text that is nothing less than magic. It creates a space for hope while offering a new perception of a colourful and rich cultural heritage. It is a love letter from its creators to its collaborators and audience — creating hope and offering new ways to look forward.