Dominic Cooke adapts and directs Malorie Blackman's Noughts & Crosses for the RSC
17 October 2007
Dominic Cooke returns to the Royal Shakespeare Company for the first time since taking up his post as Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre to adapt and direct Malorie Blackman’s extraordinary novel Noughts & Crosses.
Perfect for young adults from 11 years and over, the play will run over the Christmas period in repertoire with the Little Angel Theatre’s Fantastic Mr Fox, a show for anyone aged 5 and over. And with RSC Artistic Director, Michael Boyd’s history plays running in The Courtyard Theatre, the RSC provides something for people of all ages in Stratford-upon-Avon over the festive season.
Noughts & Crosses opens at the Civic Hall in Stratford-upon-Avon on 29 November 2007 where it runs until 2 February 2008, prior to a UK tour which will take it to Newcastle, Liverpool, Poole, Cardiff and Nottingham (tour details at the end of the release).
This is the first time that the RSC has presented a production at the town’s Civic Hall. To mount Noughts & Crosses and Fantastic Mr Fox, the RSC will bring in its own seating rig of four hundred seats, will clad sections of the roof with a back projection screen, put in new technical galleries and increase the dressing room area to accommodate a cast of sixteen.
Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Noughts & Crosses tells the love story of Sephy and Callum, two young people kept apart by bigotry, terrorism and injustice. Sephy, a Prime Minister’s daughter from the powerful Crosses, falls for rebel Callum, son of a dangerous agitator from the opposing clan of Noughts. Their desire to be together threatens family loyalties and sparks a growing political crisis. It is a powerful story of love, passion, murder, violence, desertion and disloyalty.
"I wanted to turn society on its head in my story," says Malorie Blackman, the author of the original novel, "with new names for the major divisions in society – Noughts being the underclass and Crosses the majority ruling class. I wanted to see this new world through the eyes of the main two characters, Callum (a nought) and Sephy (a cross). Race and racism are emotive issues that most people loathe to discuss but I think they should be discussed, no matter how painful."
Malorie Blackman is a best-selling author of books for children and young adults. As well as the hugely successful Noughts & Crosses trilogy, her other novels include The Stuff of Nightmares, Hacker, A.N.T.I.D.O.T.E. and Thief!, which won the 1996 Young Telegraph/Fully Booked Award. Pig-Heart Boy was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and adapted for a BAFTA award-winning TV serial. She has written scripts for episodes of CITV’s series, Whizziwig, her book Operation Gadgetman was made into a TV film and she wrote a play called The Amazing Birthday for Polka Theatre.
Dominic Cooke, now Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre, is a former Associate Director of the RSC where his most recent productions included Pericles, The Winter’s Tale and The Crucible, for which he won Best Director and Best Revival in the 2007 Laurence Olivier Awards. He has just directed Ionesco’s Rhinoceros for the Royal Court Theatre.
Ony Uhiara, who appeared in Dominic’s productions of The Winter’s Tale and Pericles for the RSC, plays Sephy, and Richard Madden (Romeo in the Globe’s 2007 production of Romeo and Juliet) plays Callum.
Jo Martin, who plays Sephy’s mother Jasmine, makes a welcome return to the RSC. Her previous RSC credits include: Don Carlos and Oronooko in 2000. Jo’s film and TV work includes: Madge in Doctors, Natalie in The Crouches, Rochelle in Chef! with Lenny Henry, a prison warden in Batman Begins and a prison governor in Batman Returns, both for Warner Brothers in 2006. Michelle Butterly (Meggie) returns to the RSC following her recent roles in the Gunpowder Season in 2005, and Birmingham based actor Tyrone Huggins makes his RSC debut as Kamal and Mr Corser. Tyrone is a writer for theatre, dance and radio and has written essays on culture, theatre, race and memory. He has served eleven years on the Board of Phoenix Dance Company in Leeds and four years on the Board of Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
The cast also includes: Charles Abomeli (Jack)/Mr Pinguile/Executioner), Davinia Anderson (Dionne/Journalist), Doreene Blackstock (Kelani Adams/Governor/Lola), Daniel Bowers (Peter/Protester/Elderly Man), Louise Callaghan (Lynette/Leila), Christopher Daley (Colin/Morgan), Tracy Ifeachor (Minerva), Phil McKee (Ryan), Jenny Ogilvie (Sarah Pike/Shania), Clarence Smith (Reporter/Policemen/Stanhope) and Freddy White (Jude).
Joining Dominic on the creative team are: designer Kandis Cook; lighting designer, Wolfgang Gobbel; sound designer, Christopher Shutt; composer, Gary Yershon; fight director, Terry King; and movement is by Liz Ranken.
Throughout its run in Stratford, there will be twenty-five £5 tickets available for 16-25 year olds for each performance. They can be bought in person or via the RSC Box Office on 0844 800 1110.
Further information
Civic Hall, Stratford-upon-Avon
29 November 2007 – 2 February 2008
followed by UK tour
Press Night: Thursday 6 December, 7pm
Box Office: 0844 800 1110 or www.rsc.org.uk
For more information please contact Nada Zakula on 01789 412622, nada.zakula@rsc.org.uk
Or Dean Asker (for regional and tour enquiries) on 01789 412660, dean.asker@rsc.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
- Noughts & Crosses is on the English Key Stage 3 (ages 11-14) curriculum as a text which can be chosen to study as contemporary fiction.
- The RSC Education Department is offering an extensive range of workshops and events around the show in Stratford and on tour.
- There is a chance for one young person aged 12 to 16 to attend a day of rehearsals in London and the press performance in Stratford-upon-Avon (plus overnight accommodation). Competition details are on the RSC website – www.rsc.org.uk/
- More information on Malorie Blackman on www.malorieblackman.co.uk/
Noughts & Crosses Tour schedule:
Northern Stage, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
15-24 February 2008
Box Office: 0191 230 5151 www.northernstage.co.uk
Liverpool Playhouse
26 February – 1 March 2008
Box Office: 0151 709 4776 (tickets on public sale 3 December 2007)
Online Booking (24 hour) www.everymanplayhouse.com
Poole Lighthouse
4 – 8 March 2008
Box Office: 08700 668701, www.lighthousepoole.co.uk
Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
18 – 22 March 2008
Box Office: 029 20 646900 or www.shermantheatre.co.uk
Nottingham Playhouse
25 – 29 March 2008
Box Office: 0115 941 9419 or www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk
Date of issue: 17 October 2007/NZ
