Nottingham Playhouse

The Royal Shakespeare Company returns to Nottingham Playhouse this March with its acclaimed new adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s extraordinary novel NOUGHTS & CROSSES. A hard-hitting tale of youthful passion and prejudice, NOUGHTS & CROSSES is adapted and directed by Dominic Cooke, former RSC Associate Director and now Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre. The play runs from Tuesday 25 to Saturday 29 March (Box Office: 0115 941 9419 or www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk) and is aimed at anyone aged 11 and over.

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. Loosely inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, this is a powerful story of love, passion, murder, violence, desertion and disloyalty.

Malorie Blackman, the writer of the original novel from which the play is adapted, is a best-selling author of books for children and young adults. As well as the hugely successful Noughts & Crosses trilogy, her novels include The Stuff of Nightmares, Hacker, A.N.T.I.D.O.T.E., Thief and Pig-Heart Boy, short-listed for the Carnegie Medal and adapted for a BAFTA-winning TV serial. Describing her inspiration for Noughts & Crosses, Malorie Blackman said:
‘I wanted to turn society on its head in my story 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.’

Sephy is played by Ony Uhiara, who appeared in Dominic Cooke’s RSC productions of The Winter’s Tale and Pericles, while Richard Madden (Romeo in the Globe’s 2007 production of Romeo and Juliet) plays Callum. Jo Martin, who plays Sephy’s mother Jasmine, is known not only for her RSC credits but for screen appearances including Doctors, The Crouches, Chef with Lenny Henry and Batman Begins. The cast also includes Charles Abomeli, Davinia Anderson, Doreene Blackstock, Daniel Bowers, Michelle Butterly, Louise Callaghan, Christopher Daley, Tyrone Huggins, Tracy Ifeachor, Phil McKee, Jenny Ogilvie, Clarence Smith and Freddy White.

NOUGHTS AND CROSSES marks the RSC’S first appearance at Nottingham Playhouse since Midnight’s Children in 2003; the company last visited the city with The Comedy of Errors at the Royal Centre in November 2007. As part of the RSC’s policy to encourage theatre-going amongst young people, 40 tickets will be available to 16-25 year olds for each performance of NOUGHTS & CROSSES at only £5 per ticket. (Conditions apply – check with the Box Office for details.)

Joining Dominic Cooke 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.
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Press Night: Nottingham Playhouse, Tuesday 25th March at 7.00pm

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