"A Separation" is a family drama, a mystery and an exploration of modern Iranian society.

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And it's that drama that keeps the public interested, explains Castro, who likens the ups and downs of A-list couplings to a modern-day version of the 1980s TV drama Dynasty.

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The action has been moved from ancient Rome to a modern republic at war, revealing the play as a contemporary battle drama and political thriller.

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The project as a whole will be necessary viewing for anyone interested in the fate of modern drama.

ECONOMIST: Modern drama

The incorporation of dramatic allusions to aspects of modern life as well as to ethnic communities, groups and individuals has established the drama as a vivid example of cultural diversity.

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Broadcaster, actor and writer Stephen Fry, who is a big fan of the series, described the drama on the Archers website as depicting "a 21st-Century village, with all the pressures of modern rural life".

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