Pahlavan Kachal

Kachalak-bazi

Baldy play

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Pahlavan Kachal is a play in which the actors are bald clowns and ridiculous people who provoke laughter. Pahlavan Kachal is the story of a poor young man courting a rich businessman's girl, who quarrels with her father. This play was meant to criticize rich and greedy businessmen.

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Reasons for selection

Pahlavan Kachal is one of the important comic plays in Iran. This play has been common in different parts of Iran for two hundred years.

Area where performed

all parts of Iran

Essential elements of the performing art

Music, Dance, Theatre

Detailed explanation

Kachalak bazi or Pahlavan Kachal refers to plays in which the actors, or rather the main actor, were bald clowns and ridiculous people who provoked laughter. These plays, which were later called Hasan Kachal (Hasan the bald), dealt with the life story of a poor young man courting a rich businessman's girl. The poor young man, although ridiculed and rejected by the rich businessman a number of times, comes back again and repeats his offer of marriage which contributes to the funny atmosphere.

These plays were meant to criticize rich and greedy businessmen.

Publication and textual documentation

already available

Audio documentation

no information at present

Visual documentation

no information at present

Institution/organisation involved in preservation and promotion

no information at present

Data provider

Ms. Laleh Taghian
Manager of publication
Center of Dramatic Arts
Address: Vahdat Hall, Ostad shahnar St., Hatez Ave., Tehran, Iran