TEHRAN -- Bahram Reihani and a great number of artists are to perform one of the world’s largest pantomimes at Tehran’s Mellat Park.

Some 1600 artists trained by Reihani will give performances on Thursday and Friday evenings. They will also perform several pieces of the world’s longest pantomime previously performed by Reihani.
“We began this project on July 16 with over 1600 interested applicants and practiced during 14 rehearsals,” Reihani told the Persian service of ISNA. He added that these kinds of projects help create variety in plays.
“Unfortunately, dramatic art in Iran is facing a decline and these activities help create new energy by producing diverse kinds of plays. I think these performances are necessary for the art of theater, especially for pantomime, which is called the mother of the theater,” he went on to say.
He estimates that about 3000 viewers will gather to watch the play.
Reihani performed a 12-minute pantomime on the summit of Mount Damavand on August 3. His longest pantomime symbolically connected the two Iranian cities of Tehran and Isfahan.