REVIEW: NOUGHTS AND CROSSES at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre 28 June – 26 July 2025
‘Passionate and gripping’ ★★★
Malorie Blackman’s passionate young adult novel, Noughts and Crosses (2001) presents a what-if world in which white people (Noughts) are marginalised in a casually black supremacist environment, ruled by the Crosses. Within that framework she presents a version of the Romeo and Juliet story. It’s desperately uncomfortable reading for a white person as it forces you to reverse your preconceptions in almost every line because you constantly have to remind yourself who these people are and which “side” they’re on. It’s a novel which bravely tackles the fundamentals of racism.
The problem with dramatising it is that it’s visually obvious who is black and who is white so three quarters of the work is done for you and that lessens the impact and the work the “receiver” has to do. I thought this when I first saw this Dominic Cooke version when the RSC staged it in Stratford in 2007 before touring it in 2008. The same applied to the 2020 BBC TV serial. And it remains true for this open air theatre staging.
The other issue is that this was originally targeted at young people around 12-16 and that’s fine, obviously. As an English teacher, I discussed it with many classes and the students found it intensely powerful. It means, though, that the message is so didactically rammed home on stage that it feels a bit clunky and shallow for an adult audience. Painful jokes such as the word “whitemail” (rather than blackmail) and the poor white girl who can only get a black sticking plaster when her forehead is cut by the thrown stone, seem laboured.
Nonetheless there’s plenty to admire in this production which mostly grips although the second half is too long. Corrina Brown as Sephy, the chirpy Cross daughter of the authoritarian deputy prime minister is attractively childlike at the start and develops her character convincingly to a mature, decisive 20 year old beset by tragedy but with very tangible hope for the future (no spoilers). Noah Valentine, who has very little stage experience, brings pleasing freshness to the troubled, marginalised, hurt and ultimately angry Callum – a Nought with complex torn loyalties who eventually becomes a member of a political terrorist movement. Behind them, as in Shakespeare, are two families with many problems and a firm reminder that wealth and privilege do not equate to happiness. Among the supporting cast there’s a fine performance from Kate Kordel as Callum’s anguished mother, Meggie, and Jessica Layde gets Sephy’s dismissive but ultimately caring sister Minerva nicely.
Director Tinuke Craig makes imaginative use of Colin Richmond’s set – all concrete walkways and lurking places on three levels. The bomb in the shopping centre is pretty effective: cue for an awful lot of smelly stage smoke. And there’s an immaculately directed, “tasteful” sex scene – I presume school parties are expected and even the most prudish teacher or parent would find nothing to object to here.
NOUGHTS AND CROSSES Based on the novel by Malorie Blackman, Adapted by Dominic Cooke
Directed by Tinuke Craig
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
28 June – 26 July 2025
