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\n\tIranian playwright\u00a0Nassim Soleimanpour\u00a0and director\u00a0Omar Elerian\u00a0have launched a theater production company, There & Then.<\/p>\n
\n\tThey are planning on a West End version of Soleimanpour\u2019s White Rabbit Red Rabbit<\/em> at the Duchess Theatre as their inaugural production, presented in association with Nica Burns and her Nimax Theatre Group. The play sees a different performer taking to the stage each night with a sealed envelop containing a script they\u2019ve never seen before, which is the performed with no rehearsal or director.<\/p>\n \n\tRunning between June 8-November 2 on Monday evenings, the initial roster of artists includes\u00a0David Harewood\u00a0(Othello<\/em>) on the opening night,\u00a0David Tennant\u00a0(Rivals<\/em>) on 15 June,\u00a0Jo Joyner\u00a0(Little Disasters<\/em>) on 22 June,\u00a0Asim Chaudhry\u00a0(People Just Do Nothing<\/em>) on 29 June,\u00a0Luke Thompson\u00a0(Bridgerton<\/em>) on 6 July,\u00a0Jodie Whittaker\u00a0(Toxic Town<\/em>) on 13 July,\u00a0Kathryn Hunter\u00a0(Poor Things<\/em>) on 20 July,\u00a0Kunal Nayyar\u00a0(The Big Bang Theory<\/em>) on 27 July,\u00a0Archie Madekwe\u00a0(Steal<\/em>) on 21 September and\u00a0Riz Ahmed\u00a0(Bait<\/em>) on 28 September. Further casting to be announced in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n \n\tW<\/i>hite Rabbit Red Rabbit<\/em> has been performed over 4,000 times and translated into over 25 different languages since its debut in 2011. It was written while Soleimanpour was forbidden to leave Iran.<\/p>\n \n\tNassim Soleimanpour\u00a0and Elerian\u00a0are known for collaborations on\u00a0Echo<\/em>\u00a0at the Royal Court Theatre and\u00a0Nassim<\/em> at the Bush Theatre, both of which similarly challenge performers to take on roles with no prior preparation. They are joined by at Then & There by executive producer\u00a0<\/em>Roz Coleman\u00a0and supported by producing advisor\u00a0Mal\u00fa Ansaldo. <\/p>\n \n\tAlong with presenting their own work, Soleimanpour and Elerian will work with artists, performers and communities to provide platforms and support to artists at different stages of their careers. White Rabbit Red Rabbit<\/em> is their first solo production, with casting by Casting Director\u00a0Matilda James. They are also presenting the second international tour of their most recent cold-read work,\u00a0Echo<\/em>, working with producer Immanuel Bartz.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe are all made of the stories we dare to tell, and the silences we finally give a voice. What began as a leap into the unknown with White Rabbit Red Rabbit<\/em> has, through years of collaboration with Omar Elerian, become a shared theatrical language and the foundation of this new company, and we\u2019re excited that our first production will be in association with Nica Burns and Nimax as we share this next chapter with audiences,\u201d said Then & There founding director Soleimanpour.<\/p>\n \n\tElerian, the other founding director, added: \u201cI am extremely excited to embark on this new creative chapter in collaboration with my partner-in-crime, Nassim Soleimanpour. Together, we look forward to introducing something fresh and unconventional to the West End, confident that London audiences will embrace the exhilarating high-wire nature of our work \u2013 anchored in presence, immediacy, and a spirit of the unknown. In these fragile and uncertain times, we hope to reaffirm that risk, imagination, and the enduring power of storytelling remain among our most vital and transformative forces.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n