A Persian rug gains value the more it is stepped on, playwright Nassim Soleimanpour explains, his face looming over us on a video call. The value of the ageing one on the Royal Court stage is about to rocket, as a new performer pads over it each night in this cosmic meditation on the shapeshifting meaning of borders and home.
Cheeky on screen and sincere in script, the Iranian playwright is known for his “cold read” performances which began when he was refused a passport. As he was unable to travel with his plays, other actors stepped into his shoes, reading a script they had never seen before. Tonight, Adrian Lester is our extension of Soleimanpour’s voice (later shows include Toby Jones, Meera Syal, Jodie Whittaker, Mawaan Rizwan and Kathryn Hunter), as the writer reckons with the possibility of never being able to return to his home country.
