“Why
love, if losing hurts so much?”
Co-production with Derby Theatre, Belgrade Theatre
Coventry, Mercury Theatre Colchester and York Theatre Royal
Pilot
Theatre present
By
Malorie Blackman
Newcastle
Northern Stage
Tuesday
7th – Saturday 11th May 2019
Adapted by Sabrina Mahfouz
Directed by Esther Richardson
Following their critically acclaimed production earlier
this year with Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock,
Pilot Theatre will premiere in February 2019 Sabrina Mahfouz’s exciting new
adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s critically acclaimed young adult novel of
first love in a dangerous fictional dystopia – Noughts & Crosses.
Directed by Pilot Theatre’s Artistic Director Esther
Richardson (Brighton Rock), the new adaptation will appearing in Newcastle this
week until the 11 May.
Noughts & Crosses will be the first co-production
between Pilot Theatre, Derby Theatre, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Mercury Theatre,
Colchester and York Theatre Royal who have recently formed a new partnership to
develop theatre for younger audiences.
Told from the perspectives of the two teenagers, Noughts
& Crosses is a captivating love story set in a volatile, racially segregated
society and explores the powerful themes of love, revolution and what it means
to grow up in a divided world.
Sabrina Mahfouz’s new adaptation is based on Malorie
Blackman’s first book in the Noughts & Crosses series for young adults,
which has won the Red House Children’s Book Award and the Fantastic Fiction
Award among other accolades. A BBC adaptation of Noughts & Crosses is due
to be screened in 2019.
Noughts & Crosses’ exciting young cast will be led by
Heather Agyepong and Billy Harris playing the roles of Sephy and Callum.
Heather Agyepong’s theatre credits include Girls (Talawa Theatre, High Tide
& Martha Rose Wilson Prod.); So Many Reasons (Fuel Theatre & Ovalhouse
Theatre) and Sankara (Next Up Talent; National Theatre Studio). Heather is an acclaimed visual artist, actor
and maker. Earlier this year she was nominated for the 2018 South Bank Sky Arts
Breakthrough Award. Billy Harris’ theatre credits include Boots On The Ground
(Tangled Feet) and 13 (Tobacco Factory Theatre).
On the casting of the roles of Sephy and Callum director
Esther Richardson said: “We were amazed and honoured to receive over 400
audition videos from those who wanted to put themselves forward for the roles
of Sephy and Callum. It was like receiving a 33-hour long digital love letter
to the original book. We had videos from everyone from teenagers who had never
done any performing before to established actors, and many people in between.
By working in this way, we were able to consider far more
actors than would have otherwise been possible. We wanted to find fresh talent
and authenticity, and we’ve been brought into contact with some extraordinary
young actors who were completely unknown to us’
We are thrilled that Heather and Billy are taking on the
roles of Sephy and Callum in Malorie’s much-loved novel and we can’t wait to
work with both of them.”
Malorie Blackman has written over 60 books for children and
young adults, including the Noughts & Crosses series, Thief and most
recently her science fiction thriller Chasing the Stars. Her work has also been
adapted for TV with the 6-part adaptation of Pig-Heart Boy winning a BAFTA and
Noughts and Crosses currently in production for the BBC. In 2005, Malorie was
honoured 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. Malorie is currently writing for the new Doctor Who series
on BBC One and the fifth novel in her Noughts & Crosses sequence,
Crossfire, will be published by Penguin Random House Children's in summer
2019.
Malorie Blackman said about the production: "I'm
thrilled that Noughts & Crosses is being adapted for the stage by Sabrina
and produced by Pilot Theatre and a talented consortium of theatre makers whose
aim it is to develop theatre for younger audiences."
Sabrina Mahfouz is a British Egyptian poet, playwright,
performer and writer from South London, England. Her recent plays have included
Offside (co-written with Hollie McNish); With a little bit of luck (Paines
Plough) and published work includes poetry, plays and contributions to several
anthologies. Sabrina Mahfouz said about
her new adaptation: 'As a young adult, Noughts & Crosses showed me the
power storytelling can have in highlighting injustice in the world, so it is a
complete honour to now be adapting the legendary Malorie Blackman's words for
the stage, alongside the bold vision of Pilot Theatre and partners.’
Noughts & Crosses will be the first co-production
between Pilot Theatre, Derby Theatre, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Mercury
Theatre, Colchester and York Theatre Royal. From 2019-2022 the consortium will
commission and co-produce an original mid-scale production each year. Each
production will play in all the consortium venues as well as touring
nationally.
Photos: Robert Day
Performance
times - 7.30pm; Wed 8 & Sat 11 May, 2pm; Thu 9 May, 6pm
Running
Time - 2hr 20mins (including interval)
Recommended
Age - 13+
Post-show
Discussion - Thu 9 May
Tickets:
From £10.
https://www.northernstage.co.uk/Event/noughts-and-crosses
or 0191 230 5151
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