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This article aims to examine and analyze the plays of Abbas Nalbandian, one of the most prominent pioneers of absurdist theatre in Iran, and to compare them with the form and thematic elements of Western absurdist drama. The study explores the evolution of this theatrical genre in Iran and investigates its mutual influences and adaptability within the country’s unique socio-political and cultural context. Despite receiving limited academic attention in recent years, Nalbandian, as a modern and innovative Iranian playwright, has played a significant role in shaping and expanding absurdist theatre in Iran. Alongside Gholam-Hossein Sa’edi, he is regarded as a foundational figure who reimagined the philosophical underpinnings of absurdist drama through an Iranian lens.
This paper examines the extent to which Nalbandian was influenced by major Western absurdist playwrights such as Samuel Beckett and Eugène Ionesco, and how these influences are reflected in his work. To this end, the study offers a comparative analysis of the development of absurdist theatre in the West and its transformation within Iran’s distinct cultural setting. Ultimately, the research seeks to identify and explain the challenges involved in adapting this genre across the profound cultural, political, and social differences between Iran and the West. Through a critical perspective, this study reassesses Nalbandian’s position in the history of Iranian playwriting and his contribution to localizing absurdist art.

Keywords: Theater of Meaninglessness, Abbas Nalbandian, Iranian Theater, Absurdism, Comparative Playwriting, Black Comedy

     

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