Death By Heroine
Riverside Studios 5-21
February 98

'' an epic love affair, enriched by innovative cinematic staging'' was Time out magazine's verdict on the Play Death By Heroine, the first English play about Iran. It is a tragic thriller set in the years 1951-1953, about the story of two couples, Mammad and Minou, lily and Parviz and their friend Mitra. We follow their love as it flourishes amongst riots and finds comfort in black and white movies. But real life events soon overtake those of the silver screen.

Time out Critics Charles Godfrey-Fausset, points out eloquently the connection between the set and story''.

Leslie Travers' clean and clever set designs, a wide, diminishing series of gauze boxes, slide noiselessly into different configurations, enhancing the sense of individual lives trapped by events beyond their control, in a country caught up in cold war Middle-Eastern brinkmanship.'' All in all, Time Out's performance is impressive. They criticise the dialogue here and there but end their price with a stirring final: ''Death by Heroine remains a brave and thought-provoking piece of theatre on an interesting and under exposed subject.''

What's on Magazine on the other hand like the dialogue more than Time-Out.. Robert Lloyd-Parry writes:'' if the political details are unfamiliar to modern Londoners, Seyfs dialogue and visual style are immediately accessible.'' In fact what's On's review is very sensitive:

For Westerners, to whom Iran means little more these days than fundamentalism and fatwas, the, the society Sefy presents is an unexpected one: secular, internationally aware, cosmopolitan…the characters' conversation are as Parisian as Persian, a feeling Parry also picks on the role of the women in the play: ''Seyf's concerns are more with the female reactions to the political events. Culminating in a stirring final scene in which Minou ( Claire Summerfield aids the suicide of her tortured husband, the play is a tribute to those who survived Iran's era of revolt as much as an elegy to those who died under it'' what's On's ends with a call to audiences in London: ''As an elegant account of a little known piece of history, Death By Heroine deserves attention.

Andrew Aldrige of The Stage has problems with the dialogue in fact he calls some of it weak. But he still has some praise for the show: ''30 Bird Products has unearthed a short and fascinating piece of Italian history for its second play…inventively sequenced…. impressive visual. ''The stage ends its piece with what every theatre company is looking for in a review:'' The Company (30 bird productions) is one to watch.'' This brings us to the Times Newspaper and not-to be recommended critic James Christopher. Oh dear! I am afraid Christopher must have had experience with Iran in the past. One thing must be said about his review: it is unintentionally funny. He goes straight for the jugular: ''Seyf's point is that there are Iranian heroes and they were people like his parents and relatives: staid secular types. ''Ouch! But Christopher seems to be more concerned with his own abundant weight:''… If I could shed calories.. I would be weight watcher's slimmer of the century.'' Or further on he writes: jelly would be an improvement''. An improvement to what? Are we talking weight loss here? Death By Jelly is on not the most pleasant way of leaving this world. But lo and behold! Am I reading this correctly? Positive comments: Christopher describes the ending as 'a devastating moment'' and ''Wonderful folk music (provided by Hamid Karim-Nessai and Behzad Bolourforoushan)''. He also writes: ''I would happily endorse Seyf to be the first Iranian Pinter''. Thank you Mr Christophe .

All in all, Death By Heroine was a great success. More than a thousand people came to see the play and judging by their response during and after the show, they liked what they saw. It offered Iranian humour and romantic tragedy as well as a new cinematic style staged on West End proportions. The media, including radio 4's Midweek. Radio 2, GLR and LWT's London Tonight gave the play extensive coverage. Our business sponsor Coutts de lisle was delighted to be associated with such a prestigious event. Its biggest achievement for me was that, due to the efforts of my non-Iranian colleagues, we succeeded in portraying Iran as, in the words of The Times, ''a happening place.''