After its acclaimed run at @sohoplace, WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT returns to London’s West End at the Duchess Theatre to celebrate its 15th anniversary.
What happens when no one knows what comes next? Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour’s internationally acclaimed theatrical experiment WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT returns to London, playing every Monday night until November.
Each performance begins with an envelope. Inside is a script the actor has never seen, that they must perform without rehearsal or a director. The play unfolds live, shaped entirely by how the author’s words compel that evening’s performer to respond. Each night brings a new energy as the actor steps into the unknown, creating a singular, unrepeatable theatrical experience.
Current confirmed cast:
Mon 3 Aug – Munya Chawawa
Mon 10 Aug – Ginger Johnson
Mon 17 Aug – David Harewood
Mon 24 Aug – Mel Giedroyc
Mon 7 Sept – Adam Buxton
Mon 21 Sep – Archie Madekwe
Mon 28 Sep – Christopher Eccleston
Mon 5 Oct – Steve Pemberton
Mon 12 Oct – Riz Ahmed
Mon 19 Oct – Nish Kumar
Mon 26 Oct – John Bradley
Forbidden to leave his country at the time of writing, Soleimanpour distilled the experience of an entire generation into a work that is utterly original. At once playful, poignant, and unsettling, WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT asks questions about obedience, choice, and freedom of expression.
The result is a play that is as much about contemporary Iran as it is about power, complicity, and the fragile contract between performer and audience – anywhere in the world.
Previous performers have included Lucian Msamati, David Tennant, Jo Joyner, Asim Chaudhry, Luke Thompson and Jodie Whittaker, Kathryn Hunter and Kunal Nayyar.
Book your WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT theatre tickets with LOVEtheatre today!
WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT features a different performer every night – each performance is genuinely unique. While we programme named artists in good faith – and cancellations are rare – in the event that circumstances dictate a change in performer, we are unable to offer refunds or exchanges. If a performance is cancelled in its entirety, a full refund will be offered.
Read More for show synopsis, cast & creative, age guidance and more…
Every performance begins with an unopened envelope containing a script the actor has never seen before. Without rehearsal or direction, they perform it live for the first time. Guided only by the author’s words and their own instincts, the actor creates a one-off experience that can never be repeated in exactly the same way.
Since its premiere in 2011, White Rabbit Red Rabbit has been translated into more than 30 languages and performed over 3,000 times by some of the most celebrated names in theatre and film. Fifteen years on, its questions feel as urgent as ever and the play continues to captivate audiences around the world, inviting a different performer each night to encounter the script for the very first time in front of an audience.
Tickets available from 3 August – 2 November 2026
Age Guidance: 14+
Content Warnings: This production contains themes that may be unsettling and is designed to provoke thought long after the curtain falls. For more, click here.
Approximately 60 – 70 minutes, with no interval.
Mon 3 Aug – Munya Chawawa
Mon 10 Aug – Ginger Johnson
Mon 17 Aug – David Harewood
Mon 24 Aug – Mel Giedroyc
Mon 7 Sept – Adam Buxton
Mon 21 Sep – Archie Madekwe
Mon 28 Sep – Christopher Eccleston
Mon 5 Oct – Steve Pemberton
Mon 12 Oct – Riz Ahmed
Mon 19 Oct – Nish Kumar
Mon 26 Oct – John Bradley
