Ebrahim Poshtkoohi, the playwright and director, has crafted an exquisite adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth,’ blending it with Iran’s southern Zar ritual.

The 17-day festival will host 24 adaptations and plays on Shakespeare’s works and Poshtkoohi’s work will be the only work from Asia.

The festival annually hosts 15,000 audiences.

The play’s concept is rooted in Zar, a religious rite that involves an individual, usually female, being possessed by a spirit, Iran Daily wrote.

Zar is the term used to refer to a type of spirit, the malady they inflict when they descend upon a person, and the ceremony required to soothe the spirits and ease the patient’s symptoms.

The ceremony includes burning incense, playing music, and performing movements to appease the Zar, which will help relieve the afflicted person.