07/07/07

With a minimalistic setup that comprises just 2 tables, using the aisles of the auditorium as a part of the play and adding the element of drama and harsh reality without taking help of any musical instrument, 07/07/07 hits the nail right on the head.

Directed by Faezeh Jalali, the play is based on the true story of Reyhaneh Jabbari, a 19 year old girl, who spent 7 years in prison and was executed later for stabbing a man who tried to sexually assault her.
Without wasting any time in building up the story and in introducing the characters, the story focuses on the day when Reyhaneh was to be executed.

The play is an ensemble piece with 7 female and 3 male characters. Each female character plays the character of the protagonist and their performance doesnt leave any aspect lacking. The portrayal of the roles of Reyhaneh, her family members and the prison inmates is so compelling that you take a second to process the perfection and swiftness with which each character changes into something else in just a matter of one wonderful second.

Translating the written medium to the visual has been done in a meticulous manner. The story is fast paced and the details of the night of the incident, or torture of Rehyaneh in prison are depicted in such a skillful manner, that it sends shivers down your spine and makes you close your eyes and pretend this did not happen. In Real Life.

The play does not take help of any musical instrument to transfer the horror. It is through the dialogues which are sharp, clear and direct.

From the story of Rehyaneh we see several stories of inequality, injustice and misogyny that prevailed in the atmosphere of Iran. A woman having friendly or professional relationships draws negative interpretation, interrogators enjoy unabated power and beat female prison inmates. Scenes bring out the taboo and patriarchy in this society in a gripping manner. While the word sex in the court is passed off as clearing of a throat, Reyhaney is deemed to be ruthless and devoid of any compassion because she didnt shed a single tear, during the course of her trial. A woman like this deserves absolute punishment, they said.

The director, Faezeh Jalali, took permission from the mother of Reyhaneh and it is through the letters sent by Rehyaneh to her mother that the play was created. The fact that this could happen to anybody and the association that we draw by reading the real stories of suffering like this drew me towards spreading the story to more and more people, said Faezeh. It is you vs. the system, she further added.

The characters perfectly imbued the Iranian culture in their performances through the ideal pronunciations while singing and dancing.

— Samridhi Roy