ABOUT SINNERS
Sinners is a passionate love story about Layla, a University professor in an unnamed Muslim country who is denounced for an affair with her former student, Nur, and is awaiting to be stoned to death for adultery. The play examines both Layla's and Nur’s choices for love and survival and the thriving for freedom in a patriarchal culture. Nur can save his own life by throwing the first stone. What choice will he make? Josh Sobol's acclaimed play manages to evoke a universal dialogue about male and female roles that question stereotypes not only in Muslim society but across the board.
​
MEET THE SINNERS TEAM
DIRECTOR | Brian Cox
Brian Cox CBE is a Golde Globe-winning Scottish actor, writer, director, and producer.
He just finished a limited run as US President Lyndon B Johnson on Broadway after a 10-year hiatus from the stage and has recently won notoriety status and a Golden Globe for his portrayal as Patriarch Logan Roy in the HBO hit “ Succession.” He has an Olivier award, Emmy award and numerous other awards under his belt and has extensively worked with the RSC, giving life to Titus Andronicus, with the National as King Lear and Buckingham, the West end ( Rock N’ Roll) on Broadway ( R N’ R; that Championship season; Great Society). He is known through Blockbusters like Braveheart, The Bourne movies, X men 2 and Troy as well as lauded Art house movies like LIE, the recent Rory’s way and the Escapist, to name just a few. Brian was the first British artist to collaborate with the famed
Moscow Arts Theatre school and initiate an exchange between Russian and British acting students, an experience he captured in his first book “ Salem to Moscow.” While in Moscow he directed the Cherry Orchard. He also directed Richard the third in Regents
Park and an episode of the US TV series Oz. Most recently he directed the play Sinners at Boston University in collaboration with New Rep with his wife Nicole Ansari.
LAYLA | Nicole Ansari
Nicole Ansari is an actor, director and producer of Film, TV, and stage. In London she has worked at the Royal Court and in the West end, transferring to Broadway ( the world premiere of Tom Stoppard’s “ Rock N’ Roll” directed by Trevor Nunn) . Nicole was a member of the famed Theatre du Soleil in Paris and toured extensively under the direction of Ariane Mnouchkine. She is also a founding member of the Shakespeare company Berlin. Recent leading roles for the stage Off-Broadway and regional: Daybreak at the Beckett; I am Antigone at Theater for a New City; Sinners at Boston University; Hamlet at the Mirror Rep. She recently directed five episodes of the short-form series “Messy” and had guest spots in the Netflix show Hollyhock and the Apple TV show Little voice ( working titles). Film includes Stephen Soderbergh’s “Side effects”; Son of the South; Remember me; Die Liebe deines Lebens; Last moment of Clarity, to name just a few. Nicole Coproduced two feature Films- the Thriller “ As good as dead” with Andy McDowell and the comedy “Blumenthal “ with her husband Brian Cox. Nicole is thrilled to Co-produce Sinners and work with her husband and Lawryn LaCroix and bring this powerful story to the UK. She previously worked with writer Joshua Sobol originating the title heroine in his play “Alma”- a promenade play that premiered at the International Theatre Festival in Vienna run by the late Luc Bondy. She also played Alma at the Palazzio Zenobio in Venice, Italy and in the three part Mini series for Arte. Her passion is the empowerment of women all over the world through the Arts and other forms of Activism.
NUR | Adam Sina
Adam Sina was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England to an English mother and Iranian farther. He is a theatre and television actor, known for Byker Grove (1995-2002), Tyrant (2016), Casualty (2017), Silent Witness (2018) and Hollyoaks (2018). He has been married to wife Sasha Stoddard since May 16th, 2010.
​
Adam is a graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (BA Acting 2003-2006).
PRODUCER | Lawyrn LaCroix
Lawryn LaCroix is a New York City/ London based actor and producer. She has been seen in CBS’s Bull and Douglas Carter Beanes (The Little Dog Laughed/ Too Wong Foo/ The Nance) most recent play “The Behavior of light”. Young and tenacious Lawryn has brought shows from New York Cities Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) to the international stage, finding a home at the Arcola Theatre in London. Along with a hand full of short films. She is the Executive Producer of Pinkhouse Productions in New York City. A company she started in 2017 to producer strong, untold, and undefined female stories. Lawryn also screens for the programming departments of a hand full of film festival, currently Rooftop Films 2020.
She has a strong intellect in both film and theatre. She is currently working on her masters in Creative Producing at Mountview in London under the guidance of Dame Judy Dench and Pam Fraser Solomon (BBC). Next, she is producing Melis Akers’ new play “Field, Awakening”, workshopped at The Signature Theatre (New York City), moving to The Finborough Theatre (London) September/October 2020. Along with this she is developing a new solo one act for The London Catalyst Festival with writer Madeline Gould (Lady Killer- Edinburgh/ London/New York) in July 2020. Lawryn received her BFA in Acting performance from Marymount Manhattan College (NYC).
PLAYWRIGHT | Joshua Sobol
Joshua Sobol was born in Israel in 1939. He graduated in philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris. His mother’s family fled the pogroms in Europe in 1922 and his father’s family immigrated from Poland in 1934 to escape the Nazis. A leading Hebrew playwright, Sobol has been artistic director of the Haifa Theater; he has also taught esthetics and directed theater workshops at Tel Aviv University as well as at various colleges. Sobol has written over 75 plays and directed productions in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Israel and the United States. His most famous play, Ghetto, has been performed in 24 countries, and his plays have garnered many awards, among others are: The Evening Standard Award for Best Play of the Year; The Critics’ Circle London Theatre Awards – Best New Play 1989; Laurence Olivier Award Nomination for Best Play; Mainichi Art Prize – Best Play of the Year; Yumiuri Shimbun Grand Prize for Best Play of the Year. Sobol won five David’s Harp awards for Best Israeli Play and won the Israeli Theatre Award for Lifetime Achievement. Sobol was awarded The Golden Medal of the City of Vienna for Excellent Achievement in 2014.