The Merchant's Play at Websters Theatre

9 – 11 November, 2023

Websters Theatre, 416 Great Western Road, G4 9HZ (adjacent Kelvinbridge Underground)

The Merchant’s Play is a new work based on a traditional ancient Iranian style of popular slapstick comedy known as Baqqal Bazi.

Set in a wine merchant’s shop during the last years of Sassanid Persia (pre-Islam) and in the aftermath of the Persian-Roman/Byzantine wars, The Merchant’s Play is a farcical comedy about our Wine Merchant’s troubles with customers, rent arrears, false accusations and character assassination.

An array of comic characters – a landlady, a crude poet, a storyteller, a drunk, a dog, an entitled soldier, a witness ‘who wasn’t there’ and the Merchant’s very lazy servant, leads inevitably to accusations and possible charges of blasphemy which the fair but somewhat naive, Governess of the city has to try to sort out.

Based on improvisation by the cast in rehearsals The Merchant’s Tale brings to life the traditional themes and characters of Baqqal Bazi.

(Please note the performance on Friday 10th November will be video recorded for future promotions).

Information and Tickets

Box Office 0141 357 4000