Cinema Tehran

Cinema Tehran runs at Aviva Studios from 5 to 10 October 2027, a new theatrical work by Javaad Alipoor and Chris Thorpe. The title comes from a strange piece of history: in 1978, thousands of people reported seeing the face of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in the moon. The show takes that as its starting point, blending performance, documentary, projection and visual tricks to look at revolution, mass belief and the way stories can shape a whole nation.

It's a collaboration between two artists who've worked together before. Javaad Alipoor is an Iranian-born writer and performer, and Chris Thorpe is a Manchester writer and performer who used to be an Associate Artist at the Royal Exchange. Thorpe has picked up several Fringe First Awards over the years, and this is another project he's doing with Alipoor.

The show is part of Factory International's 2027 season, which marks 20 years since the first Manchester International Festival back in 2007. Artistic director John McGrath says that festival put the city at the centre of the international cultural conversation over the last two decades, and this season is the latest chapter in that. Cinema Tehran is staged at Aviva Studios, Factory International's purpose-built home in Manchester, which opened in 2023 and was named by Time Magazine one of the 100 Best Places to Visit in the World.

Tickets start from £10, and the run goes from 5 to 10 October 2027 at Aviva Studios.