WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT Returns to Toronto at the Assembly Theatre

The Assembly Theatre will present White Rabbit Red Rabbit, the internationally acclaimed theatrical experiment by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour. In what promises to be the must-see theatrical events of the year, each performance features a different actor, a script in a sealed envelope, and absolutely no rehearsal.

With no director, no set, and no safety net, the performer receives the script the moment they step on stage. The actor performing each night is instructed to do no research about the play and just simply show up and read what's contained in the envelope. What unfolds is spontaneous, fearless, and thrillingly unpredictable, once-in-a-lifetime experience for audiences and performers alike. Each night features a different performer creating a completely unique, unrepeatable live event. No two audiences will ever experience the same production.

Since its explosive 2011 premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Toronto's SummerWorks Festival, White Rabbit Red Rabbit has been performed over 3,000 times, translated into 30+ languages, and has been performed by some of the world's most celebrated artists including John Hurt, Whoopi Goldberg, Nathan Lane, Bobby Cannavale, and Dominic West.

Denied a passport for being a conscientious objector in Iran, Soleimanpour wrote this play that could travel the world without him. Told in the playwright's own voice, the story explores freedom, obedience, and the politics of power through bold metaphor and unexpected audience participation. Soleimanpour emphasizes that this play is NOT overtly political, and should not be portrayed as such. It operates on a deeper, metaphoric level, and very expressly avoids overt political comment. All media and press agents have to keep in mind that the playwright lives in Iran. We therefore ask the press to be judicious in their reportage.

This production will feature 15 different actors over 15 nights. To celebrate the diverse theatre community in Toronto, this production will feature a range of artists from Dora winning actors to indie performers. Confirmed performers include; Luis Fernandes, Naomi Snieckus, Tony Nappo, Anne van Leeuwen, Diana Bentley, Ken Hall, Claire Armstrong, Alia Rasul, Jamie Cavanagh, and Theresa Tova with more to be announced in the coming weeks.