Pilot Theatre has announced the casting for their tour of Sabrina Mahfouz’s adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s best-selling young adult novel of first love, Noughts & Crosses, that is set in a fictional dystopia.
Sephy is a Cross and Callum is a Nought in a world with strict racial and social divides. As violence breaks out, Sephy and Callum draw closer, but this is a romance that will lead them into terrible danger.
The cast directed by Pilot’s Artistic Director Esther Richardson will be led by Effie Ansah and James Arden in their first leading roles as Sephy and Callum.
Emma Keele who was on the national tour Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time plays Meggie, Nathanial McClosky is Jude, Amie Buhari takes on Jasmine and Steph Asamoah is Minerva.
Chris Jack is Kamal, Daniel Copeland who was in The Jungle Book at Leeds Playhouse plays Ryan and newcomer Tom Coleman is Nought Man.
Daniel Norford from Small Island at the National Theatre and UK tour of The Lion King will be joining the cast in Spring in the role of Kamal. All actors will also play ensemble roles.
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 open at York Theatre Royal from 16-24 September and will then tour to Richmond Theatre, London (27 Sept – 1 Oct); Exeter Northcott (4- 8 Oct); Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford (11- 15 Oct); Northern Stage, Newcastle (18 – 22 Oct); Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield (1-5 Nov); New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich (8-12 Nov); The Alexandra Birmingham (15-19 Nov) Liverpool Playhouse (22- 26 Nov); The Lowry, Salford (17-21 Jan 2023), Belgrade Theatre Coventry (24-28 Jan); Rose Theatre, Kingston (31 Jan-11 Feb); Theatre Royal Brighton (21-25 Feb); Oldham Coliseum (14-18 Mar); Poole Lighthouse (21-25 Mar) and Curve Theatre, Leicester (28 Mar-1 Apr) For more information on Noughts & Crosses please visit www.pilot-theatre.com