Review: 'The Parliament of the Birds' as part of Toronto Soulpepper's AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PLAYS Series

‘The Parliament of the Birds’ is a recent presentation from Soulpepper Theatre’s program – Around the World in 80 plays.  The program is only eight plays, but a reference is made to nine other plays from each country if a reader is so inclined to study further works from each country.  This play is from Iran and the Soulpepper site directs the reader to experience many other aspects of Iranian culture from food and wine to music and literature.  This popular play is adapted from the Persian poet Farid Ud-Din Attar’s allegorical poem ‘The Conference of the Birds.”

Being originally an allegory, this work tends toward the poetic and philosophical – metaphor and simile abound in the language.  It sounds like an Orwellian ‘Animal Farm’ except with only feathers.  A large group of birds have been assembled through a somewhat mysterious invitation.  The gathering discusses big issues such as war and poverty and smaller more personal issues such as the inequities of life.  Hoopoe emerges as the main leader (played by Jani Lauzon) who tends to highlight a number of stories to press her point.  One example is a William Tell style story that turns very dark.  Another is a princess and a slave story.  She finally suggests a long and perhaps dangerous journey to follow a call.  The various birds debate the objective of the journey and excuses not to participate.  Generally it is to look for a better world.

The journey takes many difficult turns and the birds continue to debate the merit of the effort.  Some leave and return while others stop along the way.  Many continue through a series of seven valleys – some named ‘Understanding’ or ‘Detachment’ or even ‘Death.’  Here the allegorical nature of the story is in full development.  Other key stories latch on such as the biblical story of Joseph and the cruelty of his brothers.  Another is a hilarious tale of an obsession with alfredo sauce that has tones of the Daedalus and Icarus myth of flying too high or too low near the sun.  The journey begins in doubt and moves toward truth.  Eventually the theme of self discovery takes form as the friends search for a mysterious leader (Semong) but they realize that his characteristics are within themselves.

Thomas Ryder Payne’s sound design is subtle, but opulent.  There is often a soothing soundscape behind the narrative that sometimes becomes haunting.  Other highlights are a flurry of bird wings or the fury of a sandstorm.  The simple scraping of brushing a beard notes the obsession the character has for the beard. 

Some comic elements lighten the heavy philosophy.  The birds don’t take themselves too seriously as they joke about the invitations perhaps coming from twitter.  They laugh about ‘having their head in the clouds’ because they are birds, or being in a ‘fowl’ mood.

Although the philosophy tends to grapple with too much, some clearer messages emerge at the end as we understand that each ‘person’ has their own path and no specific plan is better or worse.  The challenge of finding the bigger picture or the kingdom is ultimately in finding what is within.

‘The Parliament of the Birds’ by Guillermo Verdecchia

Adapted from ‘The Conference of the Birds’ by Farid Ud-Din Attar

Performers:  Raoul Bhaneja, Augusto Bitter, Oliver Dennis, Christef Desir, Liz Peterson, Arsinee Khanjian, Jani Lauzon, John Ng, Beatriz Pizano, Bahareh Yaragi

Director – Soheil Parsa

Sound designer – Thomas Ryder Payne

Audio Producer – Gregory Sinclair

Lead audio engineer – Matt Rideout

Tickets at soulpepper.ca

Photo from Soulpepper website