WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT to return to West End

Shehrazade Zafar-Arif 21 April, 2026, 12:16

Nasim Soleimanpour and Omar Elerian have launched There & Then, a new theatre company, whose inaugural production will see White Rabbit Red Rabbit return to the West End for its 15th anniversary year, playing at the Duchess Theatre and featuring a star-studded cast.

David Tennant, Riz Ahmed, Jodie Whittaker, David Harewood, Luke Thompson. Headshots provided by production.

White Rabbit Red Rabbit

White Rabbit Red Rabbit is a boundary-pushing production created by acclaimed Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour (ECHO, NASSIM) and directed by award-winning director Omar Elerian (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Rhinoceros), in which a different performer takes the stage every night. Each one is presented with a sealed envelope containing a script they have never seen before, which they go on to perform only once, with no rehearsal and no director.

First performed in 2011, White Rabbit Red Rabbit was written while Soleimanpour was forbidden to leave Iran. Playful, poignant and unsettling, the play explores obedience, choice and freedom of expression - and the fragile contract between performer and audience. It has been performed 4000 times and translated into over 25 different languages.

The cast

The roster of performers includes David Harewood (Othello) performing on 8 June; David Tennant (Rivals) performing on 15 June; Jo Joyner (Little Disasters) performing on 22 June; Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing) performing on 29 June; Luke Thompson (Bridgerton) performing on 6 July; Jodie Whittaker (Toxic Town) performing on 13 July; Kathryn Hunter (Poor Things) performing on 20 July; Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) performing on 27 July; Archie Madekwe (Steal) performing on 21 September; and Riz Ahmed (Bait) performing on 28 September. Further casting will be announced in the coming weeks.

There & Then

There & Then was founded in 2026 off the back of a decade-long collaboration between Soleimanpour and Elerian, whose recent collaborations include ECHO at the Royal Court Theatre and NASSIM at the Bush Theatre. It aims to present unique theatrical experiences in the UK and internationally, working with artists, performers, and communities worldwide. They are joined by Executive Producer Roz Coleman and supported by producing advisor Malú Ansaldo. White Rabbit Red Rabbit is their first solo-production.

White Rabbit Red Rabbit will run at the Duchess Theatre from 8 June to 2 November 2026, with performances taking place weekly on a Monday.

White Rabbit Red Rabbit Tickets