Well things are certainly heating up in Tehran. Have had lots of great meetings with Iranian artists and seen some work of variable quality. But the talk is no longer about theatre: it's moved onto politics and the potential for a popular uprising against Armedinejhad and the clerical regime. Despite all forms of social media being officially blocked after the Green Revolution of 2009 and protest being banned, talk of a large scale demonstration against the regime fills the air and is being supported by the opposition leader Mousavi - and an unofficial Facebook page calling for the protest has also gathered 50000 followers.

On Monday morning - the day of the planned demonstration - rumours are swirling round the festival market that the security forces are out on every street corner, arresting foreigners (blamed by the regime for being agitators) and intimidating students and workers they think might protest. And as a crowd of thousands begins to gather in the University Square for a peaceful and silent demonstration we hear that things have quickly turned to violence. Understandably our minders and the festival's own security get very twitchy and decide, for our own safety, to shut the gates of our theatre complex and lock us into the centre for the next four hours. We are also told the festival has cancelled all shows.