Cast Revealed For CHOIR BOY at Bristol Old Vic

Alongside unveiling their brand new show image, Bristol Old Vic today announced the full cast and creative team for Choir Boy, with a cast led by some of the hottest young musical theatre stars in the UK. This is the first major UK revival of the soul-stirring musical production and is directed by Bristol Old Vic’s new Artistic Director NANCY MEDINA, celebrating her opening season’s focus on joy, resilience, and the power of belonging.

Choir Boy is a Tony-nominated play by Academy Award-winning writer Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight), and follows Pharus, a young queer, Black student, leading the legendary gospel choir at his elite all-boys prep school in America. This tender coming-of-age story is threaded through with a cappella gospel hymns and spirituals and rejoices in what it means to march to your own drum.

Terique Jarrett plays Pharus. His professional debut was in the West End production Motown the Musical before going onto The Mirror and the Light (West End); The Winter’s Tale (National Theatre) and Our Town (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre). Most recently, he had the lead role in the UK premiere of Daddy at the Almeida, for which he was nominated for the Evening Standard’s 2022 Emerging Talent award. His screen work includes two seasons of Find Me in Paris (Hulu/Disney+) in the role of Isaac Portier and the film Layla (Film 4).

Jyuddah Jaymes plays Pharus’ roommate AJ. His most recent theatre production was Romeo and Juliet (Almeida) playing Tybalt and he can currently be seen in the spaghetti western series Django (Sky/Canal+), the third season of Sanditon for ITV/Masterpiece (PBS) where he will be reprising his season 1 role of Otis Molyneux, and the Idris Elba-lead thriller Hijack for Apple TV+. His film work includes recently completed filming opposite Josh Hartnett in Fight or Flight as well as playing legendary Olympic athlete Jesse Owens in Boys in the Boat (MGM) directed by George Clooney.  Other credits include Aubrey in BBC Drama Clique, and ITV’s Grantchester. Jyuddah’s professional theatre career began with Kwame Kwei-Armah's first show as Artistic Director of the Young Vic – a musical version of Twelfth Night in which he played Sebastian. 

David is played by Michael Ahomka-Lindsay. Michael’s musical theatre credentials include the lead role of Jack Kelly in Disney’s Newsies (Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre); Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde (Regents Park Open Air Theatre) which led to his nomination as Best Actor in a Musical (Black British Theatre Awards); and the role of Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III in RENT (Hope Mill Theatre). Short films include 'Craig' in Fart Car.
 
Khalid Daley plays JR. He recently played John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the West End production of Hamilton (Victoria Palace) and was in the first UK and Ireland tour of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. He has performed many times with The National Theatre including Dick Whittington and War Horse (UK & International Tour), while TV credits include The Great War (RadicalMedia), Doctors and 4 O'Clock Club: Hollywood (BBC).
 
The role of Bobby is played by Alistair Nwachukwu. Alistair is a recent graduate of LAMDA and has recently completed the role of Adrik in Season 2 of the Netflix series Shadow and Bone. Choir Boy will be his professional stage debut. 

The cast is completed by Daon Broni as Headmaster Marrow and Martin Turner in the role of teacher Mr Pendleton. Daon Broni’s extensive theatre credits include Girl on An Altar, Holy Sh!t and One Under (all Kiln Theatre); Two Horsemen (Jermyn Street Theatre), Women Beware Women and Henry IV Parts 1&2 (both Shakespeare's Globe); Macbeth (Royal Exchange Manchester); Slaves of Solitude (Hampstead Theatre); The Observer (National Theatre); The Changeling (ETT); The Canterbury Tales (RSC) and Blue/Orange (Duchess Theatre). His TV includes: Holier Than Thou, Holby City, Doctors, Waterloo Road, Casualty and Teachers.

Martin Turner's stage career has included lead roles for Cheek by Jowl (including Oberon/Theseus in their world tour of A Midsummer Night's Dream), the RSC, Liverpool Everyman, Manchester Royal Exchange, Shakespeare's Globe, Birmingham Rep, Sheffield Crucible and many more. On the West End stage, he played Evelyn Oakleigh opposite Elaine Paige in Anything Goes, and Pierre Guerre in Martin Guerre (both at the Prince Edward Theatre); he was a memorable Banquo in Rupert Goold’s highly acclaimed Macbeth with Patrick Stewart, which transferred to New York's BAM Harvey Theatre and Broadway; he played Juror 11 in Twelve Angry Men at the Garrick and most recently the Doctor in Florian Zeller’s The Son at the Duke of York’s Theatre.

Speaking today, NANCY MEDINA said: “At every step of putting our production of Choir Boy together, there’s been a palpable feeling of joy and giddiness - because it offers such rich, three-dimensional characters for young Black men to perform. It provides what is still a rare opportunity to delve deep into gorgeous characters and explore their honest relationships through really well-crafted storytelling. Tarell Alvin McCraney's script never skips a beat, getting to the essence of what human connection means. I’ve known this play for a few years and during that time society has shifted the conversation about identity, equity and social justice on quite significantly. Woven through this joyous play, current conversations take on new meaning, as our tremendously talented cast and creative team bring it to life, I hope Bristol audiences fall in love with Choir Boy as much as I have.”
 
As a director, Nancy’s recent credits include The Darkest Part of the Night (Kiln Theatre), Moreno (Theatre503), Trouble in Mind (National Theatre), Two Trains Running (Royal & Derngate/ETT), Strange Fruit (Bush Theatre), The Half God of Rainfall (Birmingham Rep) and Yellowman (Young Vic).
 
Writer Tarell Alvin McCraney is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He is the chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama and a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble. In 2016 he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay of his stage play Moonlight. He also wrote the screenplay for the 2019 film High Flying Bird and 2019 US television series David Makes Man.
 
They are joined by MOBO award-nominated musician and composer Femi Temowo as Musical Director. Femi’s previous theatre work includes Death of a Salesman (Young Vic/West End & Broadway), Rockets and Blue Lights (NT/Manchester Royal Exchange) and Three Sisters (NT) as well as winning the Black British Theatre Award for And Breathe... at the Almeida. He was also recipient of the Stage Debut Award in 2020. 

Designer Max Johns’ recent work has included productions for the Royal Court, Almeida, RSC, Young Vic, Manchester Royal Exchange and V&A. His ongoing association with Bristol Old Vic has also included this year’s Birthmarked and a 2015 BBC Performing Arts Fellowship to work with the theatre’s Engagement department. Upcoming productions include As You Like It for Shakespeare’s Globe.

Lighting Designer Simisola Majekodunmi’s many theatre credits include work for Northern Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, Belgrade Theatre and numerous productions for Royal Court including Sound of the Underground, Is God Is, and Living Newspaper, and West End productions Treason: The Musical and J’Ouvert. In 2022 she was nominated for a Light Recognition Award at the Black British Theatre Awards. 

Sound Designer Donato Wharton works as a sound designer in theatre and dance theatre contexts, and teaches sound design for theatre at The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. Productions include Grenfell: in the words of survivors (National Theatre); White Noise (Bridge Theatre), and A Number (Old Vic).
 
The creative team is complete by Ingrid Mackinnon (Movement Director and Intimacy Coordinator), Samantha Adams (Drama Therapist), Aundrea Fudge (Voice and Dialect Coach), Julia Horan (Casting Director), Kev McCurdy (Fight Director), Tatenda Shamiso (Associate Director) and Sophia Khan (Costume Supervisor and Hair Consultant).

Bristol Old Vic’s Executive Director Charlotte Geeves summed up this next chapter for Bristol Old Vic:
“The first production from a new artistic director is a really special moment for any theatre. The response to Nancy’s first season - from new and existing audiences - has been generous, warm and welcoming, marking the beginning of a bright and transformational future for Bristol Old Vic.  I know we are in for a treat this autumn with Choir Boy as Nancy brings her infectious enthusiasm, energy and heart into the centre of this beautiful theatre to make it really sing. And we’re inviting you all to be part of that moment with us.”

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