White Rabbit, Red Rabbit by Nassim Soleimanpour – ★★★★☆
How does one review a show that no one is ever going to see? Theatre has a unique immediacy in that no two shows are truly the same. Every night or matinee has a distinct alchemy, made up of different audience members, every line delivered by each performer has a slightly different pitch, timbre. This is the nature of theatre. But this is elevated with Nassim Soleimanpour’s experimental monologue play White Rabbit, Red Rabbit. Each rendition is braved by a different performer who has not seen the script until they set foot on the stage to perform, every show is taken on with fresh eyes, and a fresh mind.
So how do you write a review that captures the essence of a play that will be completely different to the one I saw, how can I assure you that it is compelling enough to see? In brief, it is the merit of Soleimanpour’s text and its ability to reach into the foundation of human nature, the unifying power of live performance and its ability to bring strangers together.
On the 8th of June at Duchess Theatre, it is Lucian Msamati’s turn to rise to the ultimate theatrical challenge. Our attention is demanded immediately, and as audience members we are forced to be present, as every person in the room, including Msamati on stage, is eager to see what will unravel with each turning of the page.
Soleimanpour’s script is full of wit, irony in all its forms and a challenge to the way we see ourselves and others. His pen runs circles around themes such as conformity, power and control, fear and the fragility of human nature all while maintaining a balance of care for and detachment from his audience, stemming from the fact that he does not know where his script will go, who will see it and how they will respond. The script is full of audience participation, making the audience even more complicit in the making of the show, and streams of his consciousness. Writing from Iran in 2010, where he is not allowed to leave the country having been denied a passport for refusing military service, Soleimanpour writes from a metaphorical cage, and uses the play to remind us to take control of our own narratives.
Msamati takes the intricacies of Soleimanpour’s mind and with them gives us a little piece of both of their hearts. He is charismatic, warm and thoroughly entertaining, surrendering fully to the puppet strings of our playwright's words. The experience will be different for everyone, but I felt my feelings charge through anticipation and deep contemplation, but all the while feeling present and connected to each audience member. I learnt that my attention span is more than fine as I’m locked in to the action for the entire 75 minute run. Sometimes it is a bit too self-indulgent, and the script feels like it’s going round it circles before a point is made. But, he does well to bring us back to the point of the play, which is to make us think about why we do the things we do, the impact that all our decisions have, and the relative futility of life.
At the end of the show, one of the play’s producers lets us know that Soleimanpour himself is in the building, and it is a rarity for him to be able to see the show staged. There is something Inception-esque about the fact that somewhere else in the world, the play is very possibly being performed by someone else, where the words take on different meanings, and land differently in the minds of the audience. I cannot confidently speak on how every performance will play out, but Msamati gives us an earnest and captivating version of a play that lives a different life each time it's in the spotlight. White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, just existing, is saying something acutely political and is a philosophical mind-trip too. Though-provoking, and profound, Soleimanpour’s text is a gift to theatre.
★★★★☆
By Melody Adebisi
White Rabbit, Red Rabbit is showing at Duchess Theatre until 2nd November