London’s Royal Court Theatre has assembled a powerhouse lineup for the return of Nassim Soleimanpour’s critically acclaimed production “ECHO (Every Cold-Hearted Oxygen),” with Daniel Kaluuya, James Corden and Dominic West leading a cast of 10 performers who will take on the unique challenge of performing without ever seeing the script beforehand.
Following its sold-out 2024 premiere, the boundary-pushing production returns to the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs from June 27 through July 5, ahead of an international tour. The interactive piece sees a different performer take the stage each night with no rehearsal and no advance knowledge of the material, guided by playwright Soleimanpour from his Berlin flat as they embark on what’s described as “a global journey of belonging, connection, and the meaning of home.”
Joining the trio of marquee names are Lolly Adefope (“Ghosts”), Milly Alcock (“House of the Dragon”), Mel Giedroyc (“The Great British Bake Off”), Nish Kumar (“The Mash Report”), Simon McBurney (“Nosferatu”), Reece Shearsmith (“Inside No.9”) and Juliet Stevenson (“Reawakening”).
The production, directed by Omar Elerian (“Rhinoceros,” “Misty”), represents Iranian playwright Soleimanpour’s continued exploration of interactive theater, following his previous works “White Rabbit, Red Rabbit” and “Nassim.”
Oscar winner Kaluuya will perform on June 28, while Corden takes the stage June 30 and West follows on July 1. The run kicks off June 27 with Shearsmith and concludes July 5 with back-to-back performances by McBurney and Stevenson, with one final guest performer still to be revealed.
The creative team includes creative technologist Derek Richards, lighting designer Jackie Shemesh, and composer Anna Clock, with dramaturgy by Kirsty Housley and Immanuel Bartz.
“ECHO” is an NSP production, co-produced by LIFT (London) and The Royal Court Theatre (London), with international partners including Staatstheater Mainz, Riksteatern (Sweden), Why Not Theatre (Toronto), and Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles (Brussels), among others. The production is associated with The Shed in New York City as part of a LIFT Concept Touring Commission.