Saria Callas: iconic. Saria Callas: a joy to watch. Saria Callas: a lively, energetic piece exploring a unique story. Sara, the performer and co-director of this impressive piece, explores the journey from Tehran to the UK, and everything in between. The protagonist is locked stubbornly out of the world of singing, and frees herself in her storytelling. The piece is joyful, hopeful and wicked.
Yes, Saria Callas is a joyful, naughty piece, although the show, I felt, lacked audience engagement in some places. Despite the fact that much of the speech is delivered out to audience members, the piece became somewhat lecture-like in style, ploughing through the text at pace. Personally, the piece could benefit from more focus on the music that drives Saria forward, and less on the broad journey itself. The journey, and the story which comes with it, is one of wonder and disbelief for the audience to enjoy, though the addition of more music and more silliness would be essential for the full captivation of the audience.
The addition of more relaxed staging may help with this, or even the performer seeing this less as a full production and more as an immersive experience. The set was immediately intriguing — the insides of the protagonist’s home — and the design superb, with projections depicting Sara’s momentous moments of progression and strife. All things considered, the rapid costume changes felt obstructive and hindered the piece, along with the table positioned centre stage. For this set to work more effectively, design elements would need to be used more consistently throughout the piece.
However, by the end of Saria Callas I did feel emotionally connected to Saria, and this is thanks to the adoption of a more reflective, sombre tone which was unfortunately riddled with too much comedy throughout the piece. While I enjoyed the silliness, the comedy in the writing was ineffective, and the piece thrives in the moments of deep sincerity. When the focus was maintained on the unique experience of Sara, this was an enthralling production and one not to miss.
Sara Amini was convincing in her retelling of the tale, and wonderful in her explosion of naughtiness and friendly remarks. At points, the show felt like a conversation with a friend, at other points strict and formal. I believe it must dial up the spectacular, camp nature. The final sincere tone is effective — beautifully hopeful and resilient — promising for the audience, and one cannot help feeling a nostalgic awareness having witnessed this piece.
