Dark Things Lurk
“A woman should be more scared of exposing herself than anything else.”
Mrs Fakur
Under the Shadow is a horror play adapted by Carmen Nasr, with some significant changes, from the 2016 Persian film of the same name. Horror stories can often be a bit hit and miss but in this instance, it is certainly a hit. The time is 1988, the war between Iran and Iraq is becoming more intense, civilians are becoming legitimate targets.
The play, with the set designed by Ben Stones, mainly takes place in a flat in Tehran. Living there is wife and mother Shideh (Leila Farzad) whom we discover is blacklisted and cannot continue with her medical studies. She is married to Iraj (Nicholas Karimi) a doctor who has just been called up to go and fight on the front line. They have a daughter Dorsa, played when I saw it, by Esma Akar. Others in the building are becoming ever more worried about the bombing and missile attacks and are planning to leave to go to the countryside.
Dorsa has a friend Mehdi (Jago Agrawal/Rohan Berry/Adi Gimzlunas) a typical boy who tells her stories about the evil Djinns who live in the building and want to grab the unwary, particularly young girls or the occasional woman if no child is there. This is somewhat strange as we are told he is a mute.
From all of this you can see how the groundwork of the story is evolving, Shideh wants to stay and continue her studies; Dorsa is growing up and becoming rebellious but still hugs the doll her father gave her just before he left. Air raid warnings are sounded and all go to the shelter in the basement, conscious of the fact that this might be the last time they are all together. They return to the flat to find holes in the ceiling and an unexploded missile in the roof.
All of the main actors perform their tasks well, particularly Leila Farzad as Shideh, who is often too wrapped up in her thoughts to care about Dorsa. The little girl is scared of the Djinns and believes her doll will protect her but the doll keeps going missing.
Transferring it to the Almeida was a good move by the director Nadia Latif and I believe it does warrant a transfer into a West End venue. Horror stories rely on a number of factors, belief, timing, build up and shocks. Scott Penrose is the illusionist. I am not going to tell you about what happens but something occurs that had the entire audience react with screams and gasps – just right. Well done to all!
Malcolm Beckett has been reviewing theatre since 2017
Production Notes
Under the Shadow
Adapted by Carmen Nasr
from the film by Babak Anvari
Directed by Nadia Latif
Cast
Starring:
Leila Farzad
Mona Goodwin
Nadia Albina
Nicholas Karimi
Rachid Sabitri
Souad Faress
Bijan Daneshmand
Jago Agrawal
Esma Akar
Rohan Berry
Atlanta Chaniac Golding
Adi Gimziunas
Erin Jemmotte
Creatives
Director: Nadia Latif
Set Designer: Ben Stones
Costume Designer: Khadija Raza
Lighting Designer: James Farncombe
Fight Director: Kev McCurdy
Illusion Consultant: Scott Penrose
Sound Designer: Donato Wharton
Information
Running Time: Two hours 20 minutes including an interval
Booking to 4th July 2026
Theatre:
Almeida Theatre
Almeida Street
London N1 1TA
Phone: 020 7359 4404
Website: almeida.co.uk
Tube: The Angel
Reviewed by Malcolm Beckett at the Almeida
at the performance
on 10th June 2026