Malorie Blackman‘s critically-acclaimed young adult novel of first love in a dangerous fictional dystopia, Noughts & Crosses, has been adapted into a theatre production, which is soon heading to the stage in Salford. Pilot Theatre is bringing Sabrina Mahfouz’s adaptation of the inspiring novel that focuses on racial inequalities Noughts & Crosses to The Lowry in January 2023 and start the year with a theatrical bang.
Told from the perspectives of two teenagers, Sephy and Callum, 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.
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.
Noughts & Crosses’ exciting cast will be led by Effie Ansah and James Arden in their first leading roles as Sephy and Callum; Emma Keele as Meggie; Nathaniel McClosky as Jude; Amie Buhari as Jasmine; Steph Asamoah as Minerva; Chris Jack as Kamal; Daniel Copeland as Ryan; and newcomer Tom Coleman as Nought Man, Andrew Dorn and understudy to Callum and Jude. Daniel Norford will be joining the cast in spring in the role of Kamal. All actors will also play ensemble roles.
The novel Noughts & Crosses was first published in 2001 and forms part of a series of six books by Malorie Blackman. Noughts & Crosses first toured in 2019 as the first co-production between Pilot Theatre, Derby Theatre, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Mercury Theatre, Colchester, and York Theatre Royal, who in 2018 formed a new partnership to develop, produce and present theatre for younger audiences.
The Pilot Theatre production was seen by over 30,000 people on tour with 40% of the audience being aged under twenty. It went on to win Pilot Theatre the award for excellence in Touring at the 2019 UK Theatre Awards.
Noughts & Crosses will be performed at The Lowry, Salford between January 17 and 21, 2023. Book tickets here.