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On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, Saria Callas, a bold Iranian play by Seemia Theatre, weaves music, defiance, and motherhood to explore forbidden song and gender identity, captivating audiences in London and Glasgow this May 2025.
Saria Callas
Seemia Theatre, the award-winning international ensemble, brings Saria Callas, a bold and intimate multimedia production, to London and Glasgow in May 2025. Written, performed, and co-directed by Sara Amini, this provocative play weaves music, personal narrative, and social commentary to explore the taboo of women’s voices, generational shifts in gender identity, and the complexities of motherhood.
With performances at Camden People’s Theatre (6–17 May) and Glasgow’s A Play, A Pie and A Pint (26–31 May), Saria Callas promises to captivate audiences with its blend of humor, vulnerability, and defiance.
A Story of Music and Resistance
“Did I get used to repression, or is music my way of fighting?” asks Sara, the play’s central figure. Growing up in Tehran after Iran’s 1979 revolution, Sara dreamed of becoming a singer in a country where women are banned from singing in public—a restriction still enforced today. Now living in London and raising a child questioning their gender identity, Sara confronts new societal pressures and personal fears as a parent. Saria Callas delves into her journey from a rebellious girlhood in Iran—marked by secret school-bus parties and clandestine acts of defiance—to navigating the challenges of supporting her child’s self-expression.
The play draws on Amini’s own experiences as an Iranian artist and classically trained singer, blending fact and fiction to create a narrative that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. Through lip-sync, video, and a pop-filled soundtrack, Saria Callas becomes a love letter to music and a reckoning with the tensions between repression and freedom.
Confronting Global Oppression
Saria Callas arrives at a critical moment when women’s voices face increasing threats worldwide. In Iran, women risk arrest for sharing singing videos online, defying both the ban on solo female vocalists and mandatory hijab laws. In Afghanistan, female artists have been silenced since the Taliban’s return in 2021. The play also addresses broader erosions of women’s rights, including a powerful sequence where Sara, facing an unwanted pregnancy in Poland, must cross borders to access healthcare due to restrictive abortion laws.
By reflecting on the oppression of women, non-binary, and trans people, Saria Callas invites audiences to consider how state control over bodies manifests across cultures—from Tehran to Warsaw, Paris to London. In a time when trans identities are vilified in political discourse, the play offers a nuanced perspective on suppression and the risk of becoming an oppressor, even unintentionally.
A Mother’s Perspective
At its heart, Saria Callas is a story of motherhood and intergenerational defiance. Sara grapples with the question: How does a woman who has fought against repression of her own body and voice respond when her child struggles with their identity? The play highlights the often-unheard perspective of a supportive parent navigating their own challenges while fostering their child’s freedom. This intimate exploration of love, sacrifice, and understanding resonates across cultural and personal boundaries.
Seemia Theatre: A Legacy of Bold Storytelling
Seemia Theatre CIC, led by Artistic Director Sara Amini, is an international ensemble of artists from Argentina, Iran, and the UK. Known for its socially engaged performances, Seemia fuses Polish laboratory theatre, British scriptwriting, and Persian storytelling to break barriers and bring communities together. Previous works, such as Evros | The Crossing River, have earned critical acclaim, with praise including “steeped in emotion” (★★★★ Get The Chance) and “truly vital and moving” (Voice Mag). Seemia’s accolades include Summerhall’s LUSTRUM Award 2018 for one of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s greatest moments.
Saria Callas was developed through Camden People’s Theatre’s Starting Blocks programme, co-presented with A Play, A Pie and A Pint, and supported by Oxford Playhouse’s EVOLVE scheme and Arts Council England. The production features a talented creative team, including co-director Manuel Lavandera, set and costume designer Mana Sadri Irani, and video director Elahe Esmaili, with BSL interpretation by Anna Kitson.
Sara Amini: A Multifaceted Artist
Sara Amini, the driving force behind Saria Callas, is an Iranian artist, classically trained singer, and Seemia Theatre’s Artistic Director. With a BA in Theatre Directing from Tehran University and an MA in Performance Making from Goldsmiths, Amini brings a wealth of experience to the stage. Her performance credits include White Rabbit Red Rabbit at artsdepot and Women/Life/Freedom at Bristol Old Vic, while her directing work includes assisting on the Pulitzer Prize-winning ENGLISH at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Amini’s passion for music and storytelling shines through in Saria Callas, which coincides with her work on a new LP.
Performance Details
London: Camden People’s Theatre
- Venue: 58–60 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PY
- Dates: 6–17 May 2025 (Tuesday–Saturday, no performance on 12 May)
- Time: 7:15pm
- Tickets: £12–£15, Pay What You Can Sundays
- Box Office: www.cptheatre.co.uk / 020 7419 4841
- Press Night: Thursday, 8 May 2025
Glasgow: A Play, A Pie and A Pint
- Venue: Òran Mór, Top of Byres Road, Glasgow G12 8QX
- Dates: 26–31 May 2025
- Time: 1:00pm (lunchtime theatre)
- Tickets: From £16.50 (includes pie and pint)
- Box Office: www.playpiepint.com
- Press Night: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
A Call to Resist
Saria Callas is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a rare platform for voices excluded from mainstream narratives. Through Sara’s story, the play challenges audiences to reflect on what it means to resist—through art, parenting, and self-expression. As Seemia Theatre continues to push boundaries, Saria Callas stands as a vibrant, urgent work that celebrates defiance and the enduring power of music.
Find more now:
For tickets and more information, visit www.cptheatre.co.uk for London performances or www.playpiepint.com for Glasgow.
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