Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour (White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, NASSIM) and director Omar Elerian (NASSIM, Misty, two Palestinians go dogging) push the boundaries of Soleimanpour’s signature unrehearsed cold reads to the next level.
A new performer takes to the stage at every show without having a clue of what is going to be asked of them. Unrehearsed and unprepared, the script becomes their guide as they journey through the story of the playwright, connected live from his flat in Berlin? Or is he? Can we really know where or when we are?
ECHO asks us to confront what it feels like to be an immigrant in time, as much as in space. Fusing technology with the oldest tricks in the book, ECHO is an experiment in concept touring for the age of climate crisis: an ambitious, magical and uncompromising production where no one travels yet everybody can be present.
Performance schedule:
Dress rehearsal: Kate Maravan
13 July, 6.30pm: Fiona Shaw
15 July, 7.30pm: Benedict Wong
16 July, 7.30pm: Sheila Atim
17 July, 7.00pm: Adrian Lester
18 July, 7.30pm: Jeremy O. Harris
19 July, 7.30pm: Rebecca Lucy Taylor aka Self Esteem
20 July, 1.30pm: Monica Dolan
20 July, 6.30pm: Emilia Clarke
22 July, 7.30pm: Meera Syal
23 July, 7.30pm: Jodie Whittaker
24 July, 7.30pm: Mawaan Rizwan
25 July, 7.30pm: Jessica Gunning
26 July, 7.30pm: Nick Mohammed
27 July, 1.30pm: Toby Jones
27 July, 6.30pm: Kathryn Hunter
In line with Royal Court and LIFT ticketing policy, tickets are sold as non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for another performance in the scheduled run of ECHO.
An NSP production, co-produced by LIFT (London) / The Royal Court Theatre (London), Staatstheater Mainz, Riksteatern (Sweden), Why Not Theatre (Toronto), Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles (Brussels) / Le Lieu Unique, scène nationale de Nantes, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Canberra Theatre Centre / Malthouse Theatre (Melbourne). In association with The Shed (New York City). A LIFT Concept Touring Commission. Supported by Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
ECHO is generously supported by the Maria Björnson Memorial Fund
Post-show talk Thur 18 July
A conversation with the creative team of ECHO. This event is free with a ticket to that evening’s performance.
Jerwood Theatre Downstairs
Monday – Friday: 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Saturdays: 1.30pm and 6.30pm
Read full details about your visit to the Royal Court
Running time: 80 minutes (no interval)
Age recommendation: 12+
This show contains use of haze and smoke.
Access Performances
Captioned: Thu 18 July, 7.30pm and Sat 27 July, 1.30pm
Audio Described: Tue 23 July, 7.30pm
Relaxed Environment: Sat 27 July, 1.30pm