7 – 11 March
A dynamic and powerful production from Pilot Theatre brings Malorie Blackman’s reinterpretation of the Romeo & Juliet story to the stage.
Told from the perspectives of two teenagers, Noughts & Crosses is a captivating love story set in a volatile, racially segregated society. The gripping drama explores the powerful themes of love, revolution and what it means to grow up in a divided world.
Sephy is a Cross and Callum is a Nought. Between Noughts and Crosses there are racial and social divides. A segregated society teeters on a volatile knife edge. As violence breaks out, Sephy and Callum draw closer, but this is a romance that will lead them into terrible danger.
Effie Ansah who plays Sephy said during the rehearsal process: “I love that this story is at its core a Romeo and Juliet story that everyone is familiar with. But also, there are so many layers to it that are just poignant, and heartfelt, and human – the fact that these two people who love each other so much, aren’t allowed to be together. And the stakes are even higher, because of class and race, family and society, and the world that they live in.”
Sabrina Mahfouz’s adaptation is based on Malorie Blackman’s first book in the Noughts & Crosses series for young adults, which won the Red House Children’s Book Award and the Fantastic Fiction Award, among other accolades. A television adaptation of Noughts & Crosses was broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2019, followed by a second series in 2022.
Sabrina Mahfouz said: “It’s brilliant that after being paused for so long, this play will go back on stages across the country and get people of all ages talking about racism, love, the power of youth, injustice and all the issues Malorie Blackman’s story brings to the forefront of her characters’ lives.”
The cast for the 2023 tour of Noughts & Crosses is led by Effie Ansah (The Maladies, Almeida Theatre) and James Arden, in their first leading roles, as Sephy and Callum. They are joined by Emma Keele (East is East, Birmingham Rep/National Theatre, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, UK Tour) as Meggie; Nathaniel McCloskey (Macbeth, Box Clever Theatre) as Jude; Amie Buhari (Flowers, Channel 4) as Jasmine; Daniel Norford (Small Island and The Welkin, National Theatre, The Lion King, UK Tour) as Kamal; Daniel Copeland (Robin Hood, Watermill Theatre; Beyond Our Ken, National Theatre) as Ryan; Ebony Feare (The Winter’s Tale, National Theatre, Josephine, The Egg Bath) as Dionne, Policewoman and Judge; Abiola Efunshile (& Juliet, West End) as Kelani Adams, and Tom Coleman as Andrew Dorn.
Malorie Blackman has written over 60 books for children and young adults, including the Noughts & Crosses series, with the latest and fifth novel in the sequence, Crossfire, published in 2019. Her work adapted for television includes a six-part adaptation of Pig-Heart Boy, which won a BAFTA, and two series of Noughts & Crosses on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. In 2005, Malorie was honoured with the Eleanor Farjeon Award, in recognition of her distinguished contribution to the world of children’s books. In 2008, she received an OBE for her services to children’s literature and, between 2013 and 2015, she was the Children’s Laureate. She has also written for BBC One’s Doctor Who series. The rapper, singer/songwriter Stormzy named-checked Malorie Blackman in his 2019 song Superheroes. In 2022 she became the first children’s and young adult writer to be awarded the PEN Pinter Prize.
Sabrina Mahfouz is a British Egyptian poet, playwright, performer and writer from London. Her recent plays have included Offside, co-written with Hollie McNish, and With A Little Bit Of Luck staged by Paines Plough. Her published work includes poetry, plays and contributions to several anthologies.
Tickets for Noughts & Crosses at Oxford Playhouse are priced from £10 and are available from the Box Office on 01865 305305 or book online at www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Photo credit: Robert Day
