Walidad the Grass Cutter tells the moving tale of a humble man whose generosity inadvertently draws him into the heady and dangerous world of powerful people and high finance. The story is resolved as each character finds their own parameters for happiness. Performed with delicately carved wood rod marionettes and traditional Persian music, the play is a celebration of the richness of Persian culture and shows a very different aspect of the middle-east rarely portrayed in the media.
In 1976 Puppetmongers Ann and David Powell toured Iran with their show The Miller. Touched by the country and its people, they were inspired to create Walidad the Grass Cutter, based on their experiences and observations of an ancient culture adapting to a modern world. In 2004, Puppetmongers returned to Iran to perform Walidad at the 10th Tehran International Puppet Theatre Festival.
This production is recipient of a Citation for Excellence in the Art of Puppetry from l’Union International de la Marionette – USA.