The Funeral Carnival of Ta’ziyeh Play in Iraqi Digital Theatre Post-2003

This article looks at Ta’ziyeh through the Bakhtinian lens. Bakhtin’s concepts of dialogism, heteroglossia and carnival can be traced in Ta’ziyeh in the Iraqi theatre post-2003. Although these terms have been associated with novels and specifically European novels, they apply to Ta’ziyeh performances since there is multivocality, a temporal structure and the participation of the audience. Such terms as chronotope and polyphony which are closely connected to modern digital technology are deeply analysed to see their influence on this kind of play. This study provides a clear framework of how the Shi’a ritual of Ta’ziyeh can be seen through Bakhtinian reading. By studying these ceremonies as performances—whereby participants show others what they are doing in order to influence their judgment—the article aims to shed light on the function of these ceremonies and the role played by modern technologies in the Iraqi public space. It also aims to tackle AbdulRazzaq Abdul-Wahid’s Al-Hur Arriyahi as a Ta’ziyeh play. The core of my argument is to show how these carnivalesque performances help reinforce group solidarity between different segments of the Iraqi community, sustaining the imagined entity and unity of society. This is done through the use of modern technologies such as big screens, lighting and sound systems.