Last Updated on September 14, 2025
Noughts & Crosses – A Bold Retelling of Malorie Blackman’s Iconic Novel
3.5 out of 5.0 starsThere was something quietly powerful about settling into my seat beneath the open sky at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre for the opening night of Noughts & Crosses – a story that has left an indelible mark on so many, myself included. I first read Malorie Blackman’s novel alongside my teenage children, and its impact was immediate: a gut-punch of a love story wrapped in a sharp, uncompromising look at race, power, and injustice. It was one of those rare books that doesn’t just stay with you, it shifts something in the way you see the world.
Now, bringing a new generation with me, a 14-year-old seeing it for the first time, I was reminded of just how vital this story still is. On stage, it remains as bold, raw, and heartbreaking as it ever was on the page.
Hailed as one of the most important novels of the 21st century, Malorie Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses – a powerful story of star-crossed love set against a backdrop of institutionalised racism and social division – returns to the London stage in a bold and timely new production. Originally adapted by Dominic Cooke for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2007, the play has now been reimagined under the assured direction of Tinuke Craig, bringing fresh energy and a renewed sense of urgency to this modern classic.
It was the right decision to see Noughts & Crosses with a teenager, who was gripped from start to finish. From my perspective, watching through a more jaded adult lens, the first half felt somewhat clunky, at times marked by abrupt transitions and a lack of nuance. But in the second half, something clicked. The production found its rhythm, and the raw emotional weight of the story began to land with real force, heightened by the evocative night skies above Regent’s Park.
At its heart, Noughts & Crosses presents a powerful and provocative narrative that flips the script, imagining a world where Black people (Crosses) hold systemic power over white people (Noughts). Sephy, played with fresh, unaffected energy by Corinna Brown, is a Cross and the privileged daughter of Kamal Hadley (Habib Nasib Nader), the hard-line Deputy Prime Minister. Opposite her, Noah Valentine brings boyish vulnerability and raw intensity to Callum, a Nought from a working-class background who has just earned a rare scholarship to Sephy’s prestigious Cross school.
Sephy’s glamorous mother and politician’s wife, Jasmine (Amanda Bright), has been worn down by years in the shadow of her work-obsessed husband Kamal and his extramarital affairs and has turned to drink. Meanwhile, her sister, Minerva (Jessica Layde), has adopted a tougher, more confrontational stance, leaving Sephy feeling isolated and alone.
Meanwhile, Callum’s family life is equally fractured. His brother Jude, unflinchingly portrayed by Alec Boaden, has turned to terrorism, joining the Liberation Militia. Their beleaguered mother, (Kate Kordel), has lost her job working for the Hadleys, and his sister Lynette (Chanel Waddock) suffers a devastating, irreversible breakdown following a personal tragedy. Their father, Ryan (Richard Riddell), struggles to hold the family together amid mounting pressures.
Sephy and Callum’s connection is tender and tentative, shaped by the stark divide between their worlds. It marks the first time Noughts have been allowed into this elite space, setting the stage for a relationship that is both tender and doomed. What begins with youthful innocence, charged with possibility, slowly unravels into something far darker, ultimately descending into tragedy and laying bare the brutal consequences of prejudice, power, and love in a deeply fractured society.
Colin Richmond’s brutalist set makes striking use of the theatre’s natural surroundings – bold, unflinching, and built from imposing iron structures laced with staircases that rise and twist like the scaffolding of a fractured society. Nestled among the trees, the set comes alive as the sun sets. In the second half, Joshua Pharo’s atmospheric lighting takes full effect, casting moody shadows through the smoky night air and bathing the stage in an eerie glow that deepens the tension and heightens the drama.
The story can be uncomfortable to watch at times, but that’s the point. It works as a kind of modern parable – a Romeo & Juliet of our time – holding up a mirror to society and inviting audiences, especially younger ones, to see the world from a different perspective. One moment that stood out came when Shania (Ellie James), after being attacked by a group of Crosses, is teased for the plaster on her forehead. “They don’t sell pink plasters,” she says quietly. “Only brown ones.” It’s a small line delivered, but it lands with real weight.
Movement, directed by Ingrid MacKinnon, is stark and stripped back but often striking – cast members linger on stage, creating a constant, oppressive presence that mirrors the tension in the story. One particularly tender scene between the young lovers was quietly powerful and received the seal of approval from my teenage companion, who was moved but not embarrassed by the way it was portrayed.
This production isn’t without its faults; at times, the first half felt uneven, and I found myself wondering whether it would fully come together. But by the time the curtain came down, any doubts had faded. The show had won me over, and judging by the collective hush and heartfelt applause around me, I wasn’t alone. I hope this retelling of Malorie Blackman’s iconic novel is seen by as many young people as possible – those who will go on to shape the world in years to come. It’s a great story, powerfully staged, foregrounding the tension between youthful hope and a world determined to crush it. If you can, take your teenagers. It’s a show that doesn’t just entertain – it sparks conversations that matter.
Noughts & Crosses runs until Saturday 26 July 2025.
Suitable for ages 14+.
Open Air Theatre,
Inner Circle,
Regent’s Park,
London, NW1 4NU
www.openairtheatre.com
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