TO LOVE OR NOT TO LOVE
A play by Majid Tafreshi
Date: August 27–August 30, 2026
Location: The Annex Theatre
To Love Or Not To Love is an original absurd play-within-a-half-musical inspired by Nezami Ganjavi’s timeless Romantic Epic Poem Khosrow and Shirin. Set inside a contemporary rehearsal room, the play follows a group of actors as they attempt to stage the ancient love story, only to find their own relationships, desires, and unresolved pasts gradually intertwining with the myth they are performing.
As rehearsals unfold, the boundaries between actor and character begin to dissolve. The legendary love triangle of Khosrow, Shirin, and Farhad transforms into a mirror reflecting questions of love, power, identity, migration, cultural representation, and the lasting scars of war. Blending live music, classical Persian poetry, humour, and absurd theatricality, the production invites audiences into a world where myth and reality constantly collide.
Reflecting on the growing absence of genuine human connection in an increasingly divided world, the play asks a simple yet timeless question:
Can love truly save us—or is it simply another beautiful pain we continue to rehearse?
The production is inspired by Nezami Ganjavi’s twelfth-century masterpiece Khosrow and Shirin, one of the greatest romantic epics in Persian literature.
The poem tells the story of Khosrow, the King of Persia, and Shirin, an Armenian princess whose love endures years of separation, political conflict, and personal sacrifice. Their relationship is complicated by Farhad, a gifted sculptor who falls deeply in love with Shirin. Farhad’s unwavering devotion and tragic fate have made him one of the enduring symbols of selfless love in Persian culture.
Rather than adapting the original story, To Love Or Not To Love reimagines its emotional and philosophical themes through the lens of a contemporary rehearsal, exploring how these ancient questions continue to resonate in today’s world.
Ticket Sales Begin
Friday, July 24th, 2026
About Nezami Ganjavi
Nezami Ganjavi (c. 1141–1209) was one of the greatest poets of classical Persian literature. Born in the city of Ganja (present-day Azerbaijan), he wrote in Persian and is celebrated for his lyrical storytelling, psychological depth, and richly imagined epics.
His celebrated collection, the Khamsa (Quintet), includes five narrative poems, among them Khosrow and Shirin, Layli and Majnun, and Haft Peykar. Nezami’s works have influenced Persian, Central Asian, Ottoman, and South Asian literature for centuries and continue to inspire artists, writers, and theatre-makers around the world through their exploration of love, morality, justice, and the human condition.
