Canberra Theatre Centre | Review by Jade Breen
ECHO by Nassim Soleimanpour
There is an undeniable magic in the moment when an actor steps out on stage for the first time. Breath steady, pulse racing, heart pumping with anticipation. For many, actors and audiences alike, the magic of theatre is an experience of comfort, where the stories we tell and experience hold us gently, carrying us safely through unprecedented times. But what happens when we are thrust out of our comfort zones? Be it the safety of a writers desk, the city you’ve known your whole life? Or as the cast of ECHO experience, the familiarity of memorised lines, a rehearsal room or a rehearsal at all.
An ambitious theatrical experiment by Nassim Soleimpanpour, ECHO crafts a story of displacement, seeing a new performer take the stage each show, clueless as to their role in the work. Unrehearsed and unprepared, the script and the playwright himself become the actors guiding light in a show where anything could happen.
Meeting a play for the first time is so special, and to experience this with the performer in real time is truly a privilege. Nathalie Morris (performer 25/7/25) carried herself with a wonderful empathy and receptivity, engaging kindly with Soleimpanpour as he sat live in his study in Berlin. Friendly, and at times chaotic, Soleimpanpour takes us through his home, introducing his wife, proudly showing off photographs of his family and friends. This introduction is warm and familiar, an image of human connection distanced not only by time and space but the all too familiar challenges of a video call. This familiarity is fleeting however as the audience rushes through key moments of the playwright’s life, from a cruel encounter with government officials, to an expansive winter interrupted only by the kindness of a child. We are left stranded in time, and much like the actor, trying desperately to make sense of what comes next.
ECHO asks us to consider what it is that makes a home. In a world where many are forced to seek refuge from the cities and cultures that raised them, do we attach our identities to the apartments and countries we can’t entirely recognise? Or do we hold space for the people who fill those places, the people we love and carry with us throughout our lives? Though physically in Berlin, the writer is torn between identities, forever emotionally tethered to the life he had in Iran. The style of a cold read performance sees the actor literally step into Soleimpanpour’s shoes and act as a vessel for this narrative, surrendering their own identity and sense of belonging to become a migrant in time. I think it is truly a brave thing to hand this story over to a new face each night, and the result is a story that echoes gracefully and honestly, a testament to the power of human story telling.
Reflective and ceaselessly hopeful, Soleimpanpour argues that theatre is an act of resistance, a shared commitment to carving out a space in our busy existences to be entertained, moved and provoked. In this case the work constantly pushes boundaries manipulating power dynamics within theatre, forcing the audience to give themselves up entirely to the mind and philosophy of the writer. While the narrative centers around a man feeling lost in life, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of safety and freedom in the constant transit of the narrative. Over 90 minutes ECHO takes an audience of complete strangers and manages to weave together a sense of comradery and community, insisting that collectively we are not lost within our world but rather time travelling.
Nassim Soleimpanpour’s ECHO captures the magic of story telling, and was truly a joy to experience. I felt encouraged to go home and hold my loved ones (or fellow time travelers) a little closer than before.
Jade Breen is a proud nonbinary creative living on Ngunnawal country. Since graduating highschool, they spend their time putting off the looming threat of adulthood by writing plays highlighting the lived experience of young people. Their debut work Happy Meals, Happy Kids made its professional debut at The Q in 2024, a brave new piece exploring the expectations of teenagers amidst a raging climate crisis. They were incredibly fortunate to be a participant in ATYP’s National Studio, developing their craft as a playwright over a week with 19 other emerging writers. Jade’s work has an urgent focus on social justice and they hope to inspire the next generations of theatre makers to continue creating challenging and intersectional work.
