Imagine a world where roles are reversed. Where black people have all the power and white people are disadvantaged and suffer at the hands of racism. This is the back drop to the dystopian tale of ‘Noughts and Crosses’, written by Malorie Blackman and adapted for the stage by Sabrina Mahfouz. I was looking forward to seeing this production as it was in the hands of Pilot Theatre Company, whose work I had previously seen and had enjoyed, once again they proved what a capable and innovative theatre company they are.
‘Noughts and Crosses’ tells the story of Persephone ‘Sephy’ (Heather Agyepong) and Callum (Billy Harris). Sephy is a Cross, born in to privilege and wealth, whereas Callum is the son of the housekeeper (Lisa Howard). A modern-day Romeo and Juliet, as it were. There are references to historical facts, but in an inverted way, the slavery of the whites, segregation of whites in public places, the fact that Callum is the first white to go to an all black school.
Simon Kenny’s set is very simplistic in nature, yet very commanding. Think a red room, whereby the walls can move, projections of footage are displayed on to the walls which can be opened to retrieve props. I found this to be very similar in nature to 'Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time', but this style suited the fast paced and flowing scenes and aided the smooth transitions from one scene to the next. Props were used efficiently and innovatively in varying ways and I think this is one aspect of Pilot’s work that stands out. A chair and table quickly transformed into a toilet cubicle, the movement of tables as Sephy walked on them whilst delivering a monologue. In one particularly interesting scene they had the Cross family eating dinner across the whole stage, whilst the Noughts were eating theirs huddled together centre stage, the use of space symbolizing the wealth and oppression. The choreography involved in all of this was outstanding and thoughtful, the actors engagement with this exemplary.
Costumes were simplistic and natural, every-day wear that we would use, once again representing how normal this topsy-turvy reality could be. Accents of red in certain costumes, particularly the court scene to tie in nicely with the set, but could also be read in to on a more symbolic level.
Jushua Drualus Pharo’s lighting and Arun Ghosh and Xana’s sound work in harmony to compliment the production. Music created a rhythm and heart to the production, very modern, maintaining the pace and energy. The lighting provided location, atmosphere and tension, from the LED strip lighting for the sea, to the harsh light of the court room. The only negative I have, was that at times I found it a little dark and was unable to see the actors faces.
‘Noughts And Crosses’ plays out as an ensemble production, with only eight actors playing all the roles. Heather Agyepong is very convincing as Sephy, playing on the whimsical nature of a teenage girl growing in to an articulate and confident young woman. She was enjoyable to watch and in the final scene you could sympathise with her character’s situation. Billy Harris was equally capable in his portrayal of Callum, highlighting the journey from a naive and righteous teenager who believes that the system can change, into a hostile young man, aggrieved at what his family has gone through. Other members of the cast multi-roled and once again this worked with this style of theatre. Chris Jack was imposing as Sephy’s father and had an authoritive air about him, his tone of voice, posture and gait highlighting the status of the Crosses. I particularly enjoyed the performance of Daniel Copeland who portrayed Callum’s father, slowly displaying how this once happy man can be worn down through oppression into the shell of a man involved in terrorist activity. All actors were impressive, changing accents, mannerisms and physicality in order to present different characters.
‘Noughts And Crosses’ was an enjoyable performance. My one and only issue with it being that the first act was too long at one hour and twenty minutes, with the second act lasting just forty minutes. There were a number of moments earlier on in act one where they could have had an interval and would have made the same, if not more of an impact. You can see how this play is now on the set text for GCSE Drama as quite a lot of the audience were young people and the novel was originally aimed at the younger market. Saying that, I thoroughly enjoyed the production and was engaged throughout. Richardson’s directorial vision has brought a classic novel to the stage in an innovative and creative way and has produced a very successful piece of theatre.
It makes you think as an audience the old age question, “What If?”
Reviewer - Cathy Owen
on - 2/3/19
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