WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT to be Performed as Part of Let There Be Theatre

From international producer Aurora Nova: Friday the 13th of March 2020 was the day most theatres in the world had to shut down* Initially it was thought that the closure would last just one month or maybe two or until July at the very latest. It soon became clear that most venues had to remain dark until now - March 2021: the longest theatre shutdown in modern history.

Theatremakers want to mark the anniversary of that day by creating an extraordinary global event that celebrates theatre and the resilience of their sector. An event that generates much needed income as well as hope and inspiration at this time of uncertainty and isolation. On the 13th of March 2021 they want a play to be staged in every country in the world. A play which is living proof that creativity can overcome adversity.

From Toronto producer Derrick Chua: While the original hope was for the performance to be produced in front of a live audience, even if limited to follow all health and safety guidelines, the appearance of new virus variants resulting in stricter lockdown in many cities, including Toronto, have made that impossible. Therefore producer Aurora Nova and playwright Nassim Soleimanpour have developed a new version of the play, to be performed for camera as a Zoom meeting. This is the version they will be presenting.

Will you participate? Will you be manipulated? Will you listen? Will you really listen?

With no rehearsals, no director, a different actor each night, and a script waiting in a sealed envelope on stage, internationally acclaimed White Rabbit Red Rabbit, by Iranian writer Nassim Soleimanpour, is an audacious theatrical experiment and a potent reminder of the transgressive and transformative power of theatre.

Forbidden to leave his native Iran, Soleimanpour wrote a play which travelled the world in his place. The audience joins each different performer on a journey into the unknown; stumbling upon the personal and profound, the limits of liberty and ultimately where theatre can take you. Since its joint premiere in 2011, the play has been translated into over 25 different languages and has been performed over 1000 times by some of the biggest names in theatre and film, including actors Whoopi Goldberg, Nathan Lane, John Hurt, Simon McBurney, Stephen Fry, Sinead Cusack, Marcus Brigstocke and Ken Loach.

For this Toronto performance presented virtually by Zoom on Saturday March 13 at 8:00pm, that performer will be Richard Lee.

Tickets are pay-what-you-want with all proceeds going to The AFC - the lifeline for Canada's entertainment industry.

https://wrrrtoronto.eventbrite.ca

*Theatres did not shut down all at the same time. For venues in China/Hong Kong the shut-down started already in late January. For many Asian countries and Italy, the shut-down began in early March. Most of the Western world shut down between March 12 and 16 and Australia New Zealand were shut by early April, 2020.

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