Abdolhai Shamassi appreciation

Abdolhai Shamassi

Abdolhai’s joining TSL extended our reach to Iran where he is a lecturer and playwright. He was looking to get his plays published in English. Not being an English speaker, or writer, his English publications are a team effort.
Abdolhai’s plays are philosophical – challenging the status quo.
He’s passionate about his work, keeping an eye open for opportunities to get his plays performed outside of Iran. What is apparent from his endeavours, are the challenges artists face working cross boundary where they can’t make links and promote their work in person. While Abdolhai’s work, and that of TSL’s other Middle East authors (Rajeshwar Prasad, Jitendra Kumar Mishra, Majeed Mohammed Midhin), might not be what the majority of theatre goers in the UK and USA would watch, the fact that in 2024 Waiting For Godot has returned to London’s West End suggests there might be interest in such a genre in future.