Under The Shadow
11 June 2026
Almeida Theatre
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Under The Shadow is the current Almeida Theatre production, running until 4 Jul. The horror production is based on the 2016 supernatural horror film of the same name by Babak Anvari, adapted by Carmen Nasr.
Tehran, mid-1980 post-revolution Iran, medical student Shideh is barred from finishing her studies due to her political activities opposing the Islamist state. Unhappy with being a stay at home mother while her husband has been able to become a medical doctor she is restless. When the first missiles reach Tehran, she decides to stay in the city with her daughter Dorsa, while her husband is conscripted to the front. When the first missile strikes their building, it brings something darker with it that seems to have attached to Dorsa.
Combining the horrors of a looming war, loss of rights and opportunities, and legends of the Djinn, there is a lot to work with in this production. The stunningly authentic set of a typical 80s home with its brown and orange tones and furniture from prior decades is the perfect setting for the story, which starts quite grounded and takes some time to accelerate into the supernatural horror it becomes. The first act deals more the human toll of the Iranian revolution and the subsequent war with Iraq, weaving several stories of loss and trauma into the narrative. The second act is where the terrifying action really gets going, both on the war side as well as the supernatural entity stalking the young daughter. Merging very real human fears with spiritual beliefs creates an eerie atmosphere that raises the audience’s heart rates.
There are a few jump scares scattered throughout, but the real horror here is psychological, deeply unsettling, and very well presented on the stage. A creepy horror production that is as unsettling as it is delightful.
