Saria Callas Q&A

In a time of escalating restrictions on bodily autonomy and artistic freedom across the globe, Iranian performer and theatre-maker Sara Amini refuses to be silenced. Her new show, part confessional, part concert, part protest – boldly blends pop, politics, and personal history in a theatrical act of defiance. With humour, heart, and high camp, Saria Callas reclaims joy as a tool of resistance and invites audiences to reconsider their definitions of freedom.

In this interview, creator Sara speaks about the political power of performance, balancing truth and theatre, and why she’s done with the West’s solemn gaze on the Middle East. What emerges is a vision of art that is as fierce and playful as it is unflinchingly honest.

Saria Callas feels like part confessional, part concert, part protest. What made

you want to tell this story now?

We are living in a time when, even today, women in some European countries still don’t have the right to choose abortion. In Iran, women are fighting for their right to choose what to wear – and many other basic freedoms, including the right to sing in public. In Afghanistan, women have been stripped of their right to education. In the United States, we’re witnessing a wave of new laws that are increasingly anti-women and anti-trans rights.

It feels as though the desire to restrict minority groups – from women to even more marginalised communities like trans people – is growing stronger by the day.

To me, concepts like freedom and democracy are incredibly fragile. We must actively and consciously support and protect them on a daily basis and remain aware of how easily these seemingly basic rights can come under threat.

Creating Saria Callas was, for me, a way of provoking the audience to reflect on the idea of freedom but within a broader, more global context. Although the piece begins in a small, intimate, and seemingly distant world – one that might not immediately feel connected to a modern London audience – its aim is to ask a more universal question about bodily and vocal autonomy.

You blend personal experience with political context in such a visceral way.

How do you balance truth and theatre on stage?

The very nature of being a female Iranian artist is inherently political. Every aspect of one’s life – every choice, every angle, and the everyday lived experience – is political. This has taught me how to present my own daily reality through a political lens, in the form and language of theatre.

For me, there is no real separation between my personal experiences and the political and social issues around me. In Saria Callas, I believe the reality of my life – and the lives of others whose stories I’ve drawn upon – has found its theatrical expression on stage in a very organic way. There is artistic license that deviates from my truth and lived experiences, inspired by friends and colleagues who I have interviewed or who have provided dramaturgy. Collectively, Saria's story reflects a very real truth that women, trans people and non-binary people experience." 

The show includes lip-syncing, video, and humour. Why did you want to bring

such a pop sensibility to a subject that’s often treated with solemnity?

I’m tired of the serious and gloomy perspective on the Middle East, and specifically on Iran. I would like to give the audience the opportunity to see me and us from a more human angle. Perhaps it can be said that Saria Callas, in a kitsch and popular style, attempts to escape the clichéd view of an Iranian woman, hijab, and Islam, but with a playful tone, by challenging  forms of control and suppression in the face of freedom.

You grew up in Tehran, now live in London, and perform all over the world.

How do these different geographies shape your voice, literally and creatively?

Living and working in different countries has shown me that our similarities far outweigh our differences. Just as the left-wing political perspective in different countries is very much alike, it is striking to see the similar, disturbing views of extreme right-wing politics and nationalism across countries. This is where I’ve learned that beyond borders and cultural differences, the essence of oppression or the struggle for freedom is always the same. This perspective also accompanies me in theatre. The miracle of theatre is that we all gather in one place for an hour or more, and we can travel to any place or time. The joy of experiencing the impossible is the same for all of us, no matter where we are in the world.

There’s a moment in the play where you reflect on becoming a parent while

still healing from your own girlhood. How has motherhood changed your sense of

defiance or resistance?

Being a parent naturally and unconsciously places you in a very powerful position in relation to your child. As a parent, you constantly make decisions on behalf of your child in order to protect them, and the child is inevitably required to accept and live with those decisions. For me, the experience of motherhood and being in that position has been, and continues to be, deeply challenging.

This unequal – though natural – dynamic made me rethink the concept of protection. Growing up under a religious government has always involved different forms of protection imposed on society by the state. This so-called protection extends into the most private aspects of people’s lives, always accompanied by a sense of benevolence from the religious regime. This moralistic goodwill interferes with the most personal decisions of individuals — and that’s where the parallel between this system and the parent-child relationship starts to raise questions for me.

Where exactly is the limit? To what extent should a parent be allowed to make decisions on behalf of their child? In Saria Callas, I’ve tried to raise this question in a very everyday, relatable way. In fact, to answer your question, I’d say that becoming a mother didn’t change my sense of defiance or resistance — but it gave it new dimensions.

There’s a global rollback on rights happening at the moment – particularly for

women. How do you see the role of artists in this moment?

Questioning. In my view, the role of the artist in today’s deeply complex world is to constantly remind the audience to be questioning. The artist should provoke the audience’s mind to ask questions and present a range of possibilities before them — from the very best to the very worst.

At the same time, the artist must always remind the audience never to stop dreaming or striving toward their dreams. The magic of theatre allows us to see our dreams — and as artists, we must not lose that opportunity.

You describe the show as “sexy, camp, pop-filled”. Was it important for you to

reclaim joy and playfulness, even while tackling heavy themes?

Yes, exactly. Humour, playfulness, and laughter are some of the most important tools of resistance. Iranians are incredibly skilled at humour. You wouldn't believe the heavy and tense issues Iranians make jokes about. I think this is an important part of our culture and the culture of all those who have always lived in turbulence. I'm tired of the heavy, dry, and solemn Western perspective on our culture, which is full of joy, humour, and wit. In Saria Callas I want to be unapologetically Iranian.

Saria Callas will be performed in London at Camden People’s Theatre 6th-17th of May (Tickets here: https://cptheatre.co.uk/whatson/Saria-Callas) and in Glasgow at Òran Mór on 26th-31st May (tickets here: https://playpiepint.com/plays/saria-callas/)