Cabaret Téhéran

Before the 1979 revolution, there were many cabarets in Tehran, and they contributed to the city’s scandalous reputation. Before women’s voices were declared illicit in June 1980, female singers had a space of freedom there. In a festive, performance-based solo piece that blends theater and song, the Franco-Iranian artist explores fragments of Iranian history and brings to life the flamboyant voices of Iranian pop culture from the 1950s to the present day. Gurshad Shaheman creates a format that blends his experience in cabaret, his flair for performance, his passion for contemporary history, and his love of storytelling. Between each number, he tells short stories recounting the fates of these female artists, interwoven with more personal anecdotes or significant events from the movements fighting against oppression.