‘I haven’t even googled how to write a play!’: Nima Taleghani bringing rap to the National Theatre

The Heartstopper star’s exhilarating reboot of Euripides is the first debut play to grace the hallowed Olivier stage – but it nearly didn’t happen. ‘Its not in my bones,’ he saysNima Taleghani seems astonished that I know anything about him. This is the man who plays Mr Farouk, quite beautifully, in the phenomenally successful Netflix series Heartstopper. He’s an established stage actor and has featured in a number of director Jamie Lloyd’s recent blockbuster theatre productions, from memorable turns in Lloyd’s bold new versions of Cyrano de Bergerac and Romeo and Juliet – where Taleghani’s skill as a rap artist helped him shine in the director’s stripped-back, miked-up productions.This month, Taleghani will be the very first playwright to have a debut play staged on the vast Olivier stage at London’s National Theatre. To top it all off, the production – a ferociously original, rap-infused take on Euripides’ Greek tragedy The Bacchae – will open Indhu Rubasingham’s inaugural season as the National’s new artistic director. Continue reading...

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