Iranian authorities have ordered a theatre to suspend its production of the classic European play Hedda Gabler, which a semi-official news agency described as "vulgar" and "hedonistic".
The Fars news agency today published photographs of the play in which a man and a woman appear to be on the verge of a kiss - an outrageous scene in the Islamic Republic.
"Considering the furore created by some media representatives and cultural officials, and in order to prevent disturbing public opinion and due to concerns of the authorities, the performance of Hedda Gabler has been stopped for now," the ministry of culture and Islamic guidance said in a statement carried on the ISNA news wire.
The ban, imposed before a performance last night at the City Theatre, would be reviewed by the ministry, it said. The play has been running at the theatre since January 5th.
Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's 1890 drama, translated into Farsi, follows the fraught relations between the newly married Hedda, her husband and another man, leading to a tragic finale.
Reuters