Ticket Deals
20€ Online booking at least 24 hrs before show
22€ Reservations and evening box office
18 € Club Ö1, unions, Pensioners, Verbund, Kolping members
16 € as of 5zig, Tera Vienna Card, groups 6+ persons
15 € Theatre Tuesday, disabled card holders, WUK
11 € Family extra, Students, MDW/Uni. Darstell. Kunst, IG Theater, Club Ö1 Students, Students 6+,
0 € Kulturpass Hunger auf Kunst und Kultur, Wiener Mobilpass, Präsenz- und Zivildiener
Press:
Press & general enquiries contact
Joanna Godwin-Seidl
Tel.: 43(0) 699 12127679
office@viennatheatreproject.at
With thanks to our sponsors: , Theater Drachengasse, Gernot Ottowitz Medienproduktion, Ine& Thomas Photography,
vienna theatre project leading team:
Joanna Godwin-Seidl, Ine Gundersveen, Gernot Ottowitz, Dave Moskin, Laura D Mitchell & Thomas Schluet
Assist. Director: Rhianna Frost
Stage Manager: Laura D Mitchell
Stage Crew: vienna theatre project
Costumes: Anillo Sürün & vienna theatre project
Set Design: vienna theatre project
Set building: Hannes Stockinger & Julian Brendinger
Lights and sound tech, SFX: Matthias Vanura
Poster/Flyer/Film/Trailer: Gernot Ottowitz
Production Photos: Gernot Ottowitz
PR & Sponsorship: Joanna Godwin-Seidl
In House: Katrin Schurich and team
Iran 2008
"2008 was a year of tension for Iran. International sanctions, a tumultuous economy, a defeated Reformist movement, and an unwavering Supreme Leader fueled a collective culture of anxiety and fear over what might come next. Learning a foreign language, as the students do in English, would have been a key step toward obtaining a visa and unlocking the door to opportunities outside of Iran."
What does it look like? And commentaries.
Starring :
Sara Zanganeh, Ino Matsou, Tamalynne Grant, Anillo Sürün
& Tahzara Wurawa
Directed by: Joanna Godwin-Seidl & David Rodriguez-Yanez
NEW SHOW DATES!! Back due to popular demand.
February 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22, 25, 26 & 27 2025, at 8pm/ 20Uhr
Running time 1 hr 30 minutes, no intermission
Theater Drachengasse, Drachengasse 2, 1010 Vienna
https://tickets.drachengasse.at or Tel.: 01/5131444
For news updates visit www.viennatheatreproject.com
Supported by U.S. Embassy
This show ran to sold out, critical acclaim 3rd October 2024 – 17th October 2024. Due to it's immense popularity we are bringing it back.
Winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Obie Award for Best New American Play, the vienna theatre project presents another superb, award-winning comedy. Set in 2008, the play follows four Iranians who gather three times a week for a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) class in Karaj, Iran. Led by Marjan, who bans the use of Farsi in the classroom, the students translate Ricky Martin songs and struggle with prepositions, discovering how to be funny in English. As the class gradually descends into a linguistic mess, some students cling tightly to their mother tongue, while others embrace the opportunities a new language offers. This quietly powerful play illustrates how learning a foreign language can reflect deeper struggles, alter identities and open doors to new lives.”
“A stunning play about hope, belonging and desire…” New York Theatre Guide
“No shortage of easy comedy...” The New Yorker
“Both contemplative and comic…their struggle is not just linguistic.” The New York Times
Theater Drachengasse Bar & Co, Drachengasse 2, 1010 Vienna
https://tickets.drachengasse.at or Tel.: 01/5131444
www.drachengasse.at
Graphics & Photography: Gernot Ottowitz and Ine & Thomas Photography
For news updates visit www.viennatheatreproject.com
Performance permission curtesy of Concord Theatricals
-This play is in English -
Find out more about the play, Iran in 2008, learning English, the playwright & the cast and creatives below.
For a press release in ENGLISH contact us.
A short director's note...
Thank you to all the cast and creatives involved in this play. Thank you to all our lovely audiences, who are as thrilled as we are to be putting on this deeply funny, and moving show.
It has been an absolute privilege to tell this important story about belonging. We wish everyone in the world that they find their place, are happy and accepted there and can live, laugh, love and dance to their own tune freely.
Much love,
Joanna & David
The CAST
Please note the informational links above are from the internet and may contain bias. We invite you to do your own research.
Director
The actress and director studied film & theatre in the United Kingdom & Vienna. Joanna has been running vienna theatre project since 2006. Her German language directing credits include Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern (Ronacher Theater) and Hautnah (Patrick Marber) for Theaterverein Vision (OFF Theater). Emigranten (Kultursommer Wien). Recent musicals include The Last Five Years, Tick, Tick... Boom! (nominated Best Musical & Best Ensemble of the Decade by BackStage), and Marry Me a Little (Theater Drachengasse).
She enjoys selecting plays with social and political themes, such as Dirt (Theater am Petersplatz) and The Meeting (Black History Month/Theater am Petersplatz), among others. In 2014, she directed the hit play Topdog/Underdog (Theater Drachengasse) and received rave reviews for Disgraced and The Invisible Hand (2016). Joanna directed sold-out shows including The Who & The What also by Ayad Akhtar (Theater Drachengasse), Building the Wall by Schenkkan. For her first opera experience, she immersed herself in the wonderful Barber of Seville at Klassikfestival Schloss Kirchstetten.
She produced A Bedfull of Foreigners at MUTH with Art for Charity, directed The Mountaintop by Katori Hall (her 3rd Pick of the Week, Austrian press) and Nina Simone: Four Women by Christina Ham, both of which were celebrated by the press and public. She performed in Relative Values by Noel Coward at Le Studio Molière in November 2021 and 2023. Her 2022/23 directorial hits include Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill and Dreck (Kultursommer Wien). She received critical acclaim, as an actress in Psychosis 4.48 and for Persephone in Airswimming by Charlotte Jones. Last season Joanna enjoyed standing ovations for The P Word by Waleed Akhtar and N by Adrienne Pender, both of which she directed and produced.
To relax, Joanna delights in lending her voice for films, ads and documentaries. Next project is Albrechts Letzter Tag a film by award-winning film director Aneek Chaudhuri, and MISS-Adventure, a theatre festival, both in 2025. Joanna is thrilled to be working on another wonderful show, with an amazing team.
Visit www.joannagodwinseidl.com & www.viennatheatreproject.com
David Rodriguez-Yanez Director
The Venezuelan David Rodriguez received his training at the Vienna Conservatory. During his studies, he performed in The Drowsy Chaperone and Orpheus in the Underworld. Following that, he had roles in Jesus Christ Superstar and Kiss of the Spider Woman in Baden, West Side Story as Chino, among others in Mörbisch.
He has starred in award-winning plays: Abe in Disgraced, Ken in Red, Dar in The Invisible Hand. Further musicals include We Will Rock You, Saturday Night Fever, Hair, and Jersey Boys in Amstetten, La Cage aux Folles and the world premiere of The Physician in Fulda. His career also includes major world premieres with Desert Flower at Theater St. Gallen and I Am From Austria at the Raimund Theater. Further productions with the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien (VBW) included Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Most recently, he was seen in the ensemble of Rock Me Amadeus.
Sara Zanganeh is MARJAN
Sara, of Iranian decent, was born in Hamburg, and grew up in Nice and Vienna. Currently based in Vienna, she speaks seven different languages incl. German, English, French & Farsi.
She studied acting in Vienna, at the Actor’s Studio New York, and with IT New York, under Robert Castle She Is known for her films Fading Frames (2023), Trautmann (2000) and Das Konzert (2015). She has been on stage in Vienna at Theater der Jugend, Akademie Theater and Burgtheater.
Tamalynne Grant is ELHAM
Tamalynne, based in Austria and fluent in both German and English, has a diverse ethnic background with a mother from Scotland and a father from Uzbekistan. Her mixed heritage enables her to bring a wide range of characters to life. With a passion for performing that began at the age of fourteen, Tamalynne believes that art is revolutionary. She aims to use her craft to inspire change, raise awareness, connect people, tell important stories, and give a voice to the voiceless.
Tamalynne studied at the Sunrise Studios Konservatorium für Tanz, Gesang und Schauspiel. Since then, she has worked on multiple short films, including I Feel Human Again (2023), Cultish Things (2022), Jasmin (2021), and Ordinary (2015). She has also been involved in numerous theatre projects, such as Bravo Girl! Die Zeiten gendern sich (2022–23), a radical, feminist, and educational play directed by Nico Wind that toured Dschungel Wien, Kleines Theater Salzburg, and Teatro Nohma in Milan. One of her most emotionally challenging roles was Cate in Sarah Kane’s notorious play Blasted, directed by Thomas Crawley (2019) and performed at TheaterArche. She also portrayed the Cheshire Cat in the Mental Eclipse Theatre’s adaptation of The Fall of Alice, directed by Jason Cloud (2018) at Theater Spektakel. Additionally, Tamalynne directed and produced her own show, The Struggling Life of an Artist, alongside her friend and colleague Xiomara Meyer, which was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019.
Beyond acting, Tamalynne is also a writer, photographer, yoga teacher, and fitness trainer. Recently, she co-founded a film association called "Blutsschwestern" with Victoria Lozar and Xenia Geppart, focusing on feminist and socio-political themes.
Ino Matsou is ROYA
Ino is a Greek actress based in Vienna, Austria. She enjoys working in multilingual, international settings, both on set and on stage. She has appeared in the popular crime TV series Tatort Wien, directed by Austrian filmmaker Sabine Derflinger, and has performed in theatres such as The Muth and Theater Arche. Ino enjoys acting in English, German, and Greek, bringing a unique touch with her Mediterranean accent and international flair.
Ino began her acting career in Greece and later earned a state-awarded acting diploma in Vienna. She has a passion for portraying strong female characters and is particularly drawn to comedies, political thrillers, and historical dramas.
Before pursuing acting, Ino worked as a dentist in her private practice and at Vienna’s University Dental Clinic. Additionally, she sang in the electro-pop group Lovelab and took jazz ballet and modern dance lessons. Her diverse background highlights her dedication and versatility.
Anillo Sürün is OMID
Anillo is an actor from the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, currently based in Vienna. He holds a bachelor's degree in acting and has also received training in opera singing and musical theatre. Anillo has been trained in various acting techniques, including method acting and classical acting, and he performs in English, German, and Turkish.
His previous theatre credits include Escape Patriarchy (diverCITYLAB), Linienwallungen - Down the Buzzing Boulevard (Studio OAG), Yangın—Feuer (Argekultur Salzburg), An Enemy of the People (The Norwegian Ibsen Company), and Please/Don’t Shoot the Messenger (Theater am Werk). Anillo has also appeared in a range of commercials, short films, and television series.
In addition to his acting career, Anillo contributes to theatre costume departments and works as a stylist for commercial productions.
Anillo has a keen interest in film production and plays the piano. He looks forward to continuing his work on stage, behind the scenes, and in front of the camera, bringing a diverse set of skills to every project he undertakes.
Tahzara Wurawa is GOLI
Tahzara Wurawa is an Austrian-Zimbabwean actress who received her acting training at Pinewood Studios in England and the Vienna English Theatre Academy in Austria.
She has participated in various short films and documentaries and has appeared on stage in plays such as The Three Sisters, The Seagull, and Nell Gwynn at Theater Arche Wien and Vienna’s English Theatre. After recently completing her acting training, she wrapped up her latest project in the summer of 2024, filming a feature movie in Lower Austria titled Bat Shit Spelunking.
Tahzara also has a passion for dance and movement. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, she trained in various dance and martial arts styles, including aerial silk, contemporary dance, and hip-hop. She has a deep interest in the arts and enjoys creating miniature sets, drawing, painting, and sculpting.
Sanaz Toossi Playwright
Sanaz Toossi is an Iranian-American playwright from Orange County, California. Her plays include the critically acclaimed, award-winning ENGLISH (co-production Atlantic Theater Company/Roundabout Theatre Company) and WISH YOU WERE HERE (Playwrights Horizons; Williamstown/Audible, released 2020). She is currently under commission at Atlantic Theater Company (Launch commission; Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation grant), Roundabout Theatre Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Manhattan Theatre Club, South Coast Repertory, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival (American Revolutions Cycle). In television, Sanaz recently staffed on INVITATION TO A BONFIRE (AMC); A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (Amazon); FIVE WOMEN (Marielle Heller/ Big Beach); and sold an original idea, THE PERSIANS, to FX with Joe Weisberg & Joel Fields attached as Executive Producers. Sanaz is a member of Youngblood and the Middle Eastern American Writers Lab at the Lark, and an alum of Clubbed Thumb’s Early Career Writers’ Group. She was the 2019 P73 Playwriting Fellow, a recipient of the 2020 Steinberg Playwright Award, and the 2022 recipient of The Horton Foote Award. MFA: NYU Tisch.
Kamyab Sadeghi - Musician
In 2016, Kamyab became a member of the Iran Music House. In 2017, he moved to Vienna, Austria, to pursue further studies in orchestra conducting at the Richard Wagner Conservatory under the supervision of Prof. Christian Schulz. During this time, he gained valuable experience conducting choirs and orchestras at the conservatory. Kamyab is active in fusion music, blending Persian, Pop, and Jazz styles. He began working as a singer and composer with the Fusika Band at Opmusicbridge Company. In 2019, he joined the U-Star group, and in 2020, he collaborated with the vienna theatre project as a singer and composer for the "1001 Nights" project, performing live at renowned hotels. In the summer of 2021, he held a concert at the Kultursommer Festival.
In 2021, Kamyab completed the "Art of Music Production" online course at Berklee College of Music and has since been working as a private music teacher in Vienna. That same year, he founded his own band, Vernaband, and has since performed at numerous concerts and festivals. He also recorded and released the *Obscurity* EP with the band. Recently, Kamyab and his colleagues launched a project called *Märchen Suiten*, which combines music and dance.
In 2024, he began his role as the choir conductor of Musikfreunde, working on new projects.
Kamyab has a deep love for Persian music and strives to preserve Persian poetry by incorporating it into all of his compositions. Cultural preservation is a key element of his musical work.
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Rhianna Frost - Director's Assistant
is an Actor, Director and Dramaturg, who recently moved to Vienna from the UK. She specialised in Shakespeare in Performance at the University of Cambridge, and received a Distinction for her Masters of Arts in Dramaturgy at Birkbeck College. Her Actor training includes workshops with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Theatre Du Soleil. Her favourite acting roles have included Antigone (Oedipus and Antigone), Puck (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Dorigen (Chaucer All Strung Up: The Franklin's Tale), Lady Bracknell (The Importance of Being Earnest), and Mum/Porno in Attempts on Her Life. Rhianna loves devised work, physical theatre, singing, and brilliant storytelling.
In Dramaturgy, Rhianna's recent work includes: Script Development (When I Say Dolphin by Marika Mckennell), Digital Theatre Development (Hamlet: A Ghost Story, with Joel Hall and Aaron Sidwell), Education Project Lead (The Merchant of Venice 1936, adaptation by Brigid Larmour and Tracy Ann Oberman), and delivering Theatre Workshops, including at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Access, inclusion, engagement and outreach are the core priority for all of Rhianna's work.
Rhianna finds that courageous storytelling can be an act of resistance; that we create our own identities through the stories we tell; and that by listening to the stories of others, we can begin to understand, and to draw close.
