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Overview
Synopsis
The Burqa master is a paradoxical drama following the lives of an Iranian father and son exiled in the West. The old man, a diabetic sugar addict is lost between the mosque and Turkish delight. He shoots up insulin passing from stupor and self-pity to holy fervor, crashing about, shouting sermons and dropping syringes around the house. His son Hamid, living the Muslim paradise here and now, tries to humor his father by working in the family shop and taking part in the dawn prayers accompanied by Muezzin chants on the ghetto blaster. But Hamid also has a secret life recruiting female shop clients to sex sessions. Disguised as a widow in a burqa he gives 'English lessons' to these Muslim housewives in the privacy of their bedrooms, while their husbands happily pay. The precarious harmony between father and son is destroyed by a series of accidents which are farcical yet tragic, causing the old man to relive a dark secret buried in his faded memories.
Show Information
- Book
- Cid Andrenelli
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 2005
- Genres
- Drama, Dark Comedy, Satire
- Settings
- Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- Any large city in the USA or UK, Present Day
- Cast Size
- large
- Ideal For
- College/University, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult Characters, Large Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
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|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
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|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
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Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher