RADAR 2015 | Q&A with Nassim Soleimanpour

Known for plays without directors, sets and rehearsals the acclaimed Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour takes it to extremes in his new play Blank which will have its UK premiere at RADAR, our annual festival of new writing. From his base in Berlin, he tells us some truths, one lie and why he’s looking forward to RADAR.

Can you tell us about Blank in one sentence?
“A script full of blanks is to be completed by a new performer with the help of a live audience.”

What questions lies at the heart of the show; what are you asking the audience?
How do you fill in the BLANKs?

Tell us three things about yourself, one of them must be a lie.
1. My blood type is O Negative.
2. My dad passed away two years ago.
3. I have a white dog.

What sparked the original idea for this piece and how has it evolved?
The emails I’ve been receiving from the audience of my other play White Rabbit, Red Rabbit.

What excites you about being part of RADAR 2015?
London, old friends, new people and new plays.

Do you feel your work is inspired by, responding to or reacting against any work from wider culture (films, art, music, etc)?
Sure it is – it’s just hard to mention any special names.

What direction do you feel yourself moving in creatively, and what comes next for you as an artist?
I know that I still have one or two more plays to write. Afterwards I can flip burgers to pay rent.

We’re compiling a RADAR playlist to play in the bar throughout the festival – we’ll be asking the audience and our Twitter followers to nominate songs that feel ‘on the pulse’, music (from any era) that they feel is under the radar and music that inspires them. What songs would you add to it and why?
Any Iranian music will be a nice surprise. I would pick any songs by Mohammad Reza Shajarian or Shahram Nazeri.

Don’t miss seeing Blank – each night at RADAR it will be completed by a new performer before a live audience. Starring Paul Hunter on 19th November, Tim Crouch on 20th November, and Hattie Morahan on 21st November.