'Fereydoun Farrokhzad is invisible to everyone apart from, mostly, Iranians, because nobody apart from them ever has to think about him.'

It's the 1970s, and Fereydoun Farrokhzad's star is blazing bright - he's a sex symbol and chart-topping pop singer. Imagine an Iranian Tom Jones. A decade on and he's living in political exile in Germany, though still selling out the Royal Albert Hall. Then, on 7 August 1992, he's found brutally murdered. The neighbours said his dogs had been barking for two nights. The case has never been solved.

Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World is an investigation into the nature of investigation; part free-wheeling lecture, part podcast and part play. It is a thrilling ride down the rabbit hole of Wikipedia and true-crime podcasts, sorting through the tangle of information available online to reveal the limits of the search engines in solving a decades-old cold case.

Originally produced by The Javaad Alipoor Company in 2022, this witty, fast-paced and cutting-edge play, by Javaad Alipoor with Chris Thorpe, was co-commissioned by HOME and the National Theatre of Parramatta. It has toured worldwide, including a run at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, during the 2023 Festival Fringe.

About the Author

Javaad Alipoor is an artist, writer and Artistic Director of The Javaad Alipoor Company. His other plays include the award-winning, theatrically explosive The Believers Are But Brothers and Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran (co-created with Kirsty Housley). Chris Thorpe is a writer and performer whose texts include Victory Condition for the Royal Court Theatre and Confirmation and Status for China Plate/ Staatstheater Mainz.

Book Information
ISBN 9781839042737
Author Javaad Alipoor
Format Paperback
Page Count 64
Imprint Nick Hern Books
Publisher Nick Hern Books
Weight(grams) 79g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 5mm