IN THE SHADE OF THE MULBERRY TREE

Here, in the shade of the tree, stories begin to grow: intimate tales, unexpected laughter, and memories of conflict, connection and love. Iranian storyteller Sahand Sahebdivani and Israeli storyteller Raphael Rodan return to the stage together, united by a deep friendship spanning decades. They revisit “the house where their mothers grew up” – an imagined place beneath a mulberry tree where memory, myth, and identity intertwine. With humour, warmth and a touch of rebellion, Rodan and Sahebdivani explore what happens when two seemingly unlikely friends choose storytelling over silence. Their stories are accompanied by the angelic voice of Mary Aygetsy, who brings Armenian folk songs to life.

Raphael Rodan is an award-winning theatre maker and storyteller. Together with Sahand Sahebdivani, he has co-directed the Amsterdam Storytelling Festival since 2018. Born in Iran, Sahebdivani fled to the Netherlands as a child and founded the Mezrab Cultural Center in Amsterdam in 2004, which has since become one of the world’s leading stages for storytelling.

Storytelling: Raphael Rodan, Sahand Sahebdivani

Vocals: Mary Aygetsy

“A passionate storytelling show (…) about war and peace, heroism and the love of life. Winner of the Amsterdam Fringe Festival Gold Award 2017. Iranian Sahebdivani and Israeli Rodan combine great humour with a drive to tell sincere and meaningful stories. In attempting to answer the question ‘Why do people wage war?’, they take their audience on a journey through space and time.” (FringeReview.co.uk)