Review: Under the Shadow, Almeida Theatre 

If you have not lived through a war, then it is impossible to imagine how scary it is. Bombs falling suddenly destroying homes and families. Life disrupted by sheltering in basements while the world above you shakes. Loved ones sent to the front, never to return. The only thing scarier than the reality of war is facing a malevolent supernatural being who wants to take your child away. 

These are the two tensions that Under the Shadow at the Almeida Theatre captures well. Set in Tehran in 1988 during the Iran-Iraq War – one of the bloodier recent wars that little is known about in the West – it follows Shideh who is trapped at home with her daughter while bombs fall. Her husband is then sent to the front and her medical studies are stopped by the regime because of her past political activism. Then a rocket hits her building, bringing with it something more than a warhead. 

The first half effectively shows the rising psychological pressure on Shideh as she is stuck in limbo, her relationships with friends and family strained. All around her the war rages, crashing into her home with explosions, broken masonry and injured neighbours. The atmosphere intensifies as bombs are replaced by rockets, and the strikes come without warning. 

Under the Shadow captures the political tension of the time. The authoritarian gender politics stop Shideh from pursuing the one thing she wants in life. The audience never learns what she did, beyond some disapproved of political activism. In this case Shideh stands in for many victims of the Iranian regime. The show also captures how hard it is to be a political victim when everyone around you expresses solidarity with the government due to war, and how embedded the Iranian regime is in everyone’s lives. These are important issues to understand today. 

The two tensions work tonally well together as political conflict gives way to horror. Whispers circulate around the building. Personal treasures go missing. Unseen figures appear in the apartment. This allows the drama to take on a new dimension, rising to seat gripping intensity. 

The use of a single set and location creates a strong focus on the protagonist’s psychological state and a claustrophobic mood. The set design and lighting are cleverly used to make these moments stronger. Power cuts plunge Shideh and her daughter into darkness at key moments, and a strange figure is glimpsed through a glass pane. Explosions rumble through the scene, made vivid by excellent sound design. Under the Shadow uses jump scares to pay off the tension, causing me to let out an audible exclamation in the theatre despite the fact I was expecting a scare. 

Leila Farzad delivers an outstanding performance as Shideh, making her a complex and relatable character in a series of dangerous situations. Her performance brings us into Shideh’s world as she loses herself under the pressure from military, political and supernatural forces. All the supporting cast members deliver strong performances, bringing their characters to life and making them all feel like three-dimensional individuals. A special mention must also go to Esma Akar as Shideh’s daughter Dorsa. 

The horror builds to a powerful conclusion that also resolves a key character conflict for Shideh, thus being dramatic and narratively satisfying. The final monologue, delivered as the light dwindles and a single spotlight focuses on Shideh and Dorsa, is a poignant note to finish on. Under the Shadow balances many different types of tension to create an intense experience that is genuinely scary and has important insights into life under war and the Iranian regime. 

Creator of Original Film: Babak Anvari  
Adaptor: Carmen Nasr   
Director: Nadia Latif  
Set Designer: Ben Stones  
Costume Designer: Khadija Raza  
Lighting Designer: James Farncombe  
Sound Designer: Donato Wharton  
Casting Director: Anna Cooper CDG  
Children’s Casting Director: Amy Beadel CDG 
Illusion Consultant: Scott Penrose 
Fight Director: Kev McCurdy  
Movement Director: Malik Nashad Sharpe 
Costume Supervisor: Olivia Ward 
Props Supervisor: Mary Halliday 
Assistant Director: Layla Madanat  
Dramatherapist: Dr Sara Alsaraf 

Under the Shadow plays at the Almeida Theatre until Saturday 4 July.