Photo Flash: CATEGORY B Plays Not Black And White Season

Jimmy Akingbola, Aml Ameen, John Boyega , Karl Collins, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Abhin Galeya, Jaye Griffiths, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Amelia Lowdell, Cecilia Noble, Rebecca Scroggs and Robert Whitelock are the full cast announced for the Not Black and White season - three plays to be presented by the Tricycle Theatre examining the state of Britain at the end of the first decade of the twenty first century.

Not Black and White is a three month season of plays to be presented by the Tricycle Theatre examining life and social issues in 21st Century London from the perspective of three leading black contemporary playwrights. Roy Williams, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Bola Agbaje will tackle the prison system, the mayoralty and immigration respectively in the Not Black and White season which runs from 8 October to 19 December 2009.

Not Black and White will open with Roy Williams' Category B (8 October - 19 December) directed by Paulette Randall. Followed by Kwame Kwei-Armah's Seize the Day (22 October - 17 December), then Bola Agbaje's Detaining Justice (25 November - 15 December) directed by Indhu Rubasingham, all three productions will eventually play in repertoire. The Not Black and White season will be designed by Rosa Maggiora with lighting by James Farncombe and sound by Tom Lishman.

CATEGORY B

Paulette Randall will direct the world premiere of Roy Williams' Category B, the opening production in the Tricycle's Not Black and White season. Running from 8 October until 19 December with press night on 12 October, Category B is designed by Rosa Maggiora, with lighting by James Farncombe and sound by Tom Lishman.

"No-one wants to go to a Cat B prison, no-one wants to come here, prisoners and screws alike."
Saul runs a tip-top wing - the screws love him for it, especially Angela. Prisoners follow his rules, and its all gravy. But Saul's number two position is vacant, new inmates are flooding in, so everyone's feeling the heat. Errol could fill the gap, but he's up for parole in 6 weeks, and now new kid Rio's rocking the boat. No-one wants to go to Cat B, but the world on the outside is a different story.

In 2008 Roy Williams' Days of Significance was presented as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company season at the Tricycle, where his plays Starstruck and The Gift both received their London premieres. His other writing includes Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads and Baby Girl, both for the National Theatre, and Lift Off, Clubland and Fallout which all premiered at the Royal Court, the latter of which was televised by Channel 4.

Paulette Randall was last at the Tricycle directing Radio Golf where she has previously directed August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running and King Hedley II. Her other directing credits include What's In The cat for Contact Theatre, Manchester and the Royal Court Upstairs, Funny Black Women On The Edge and Shoot To Win for the Theatre Royal Stratford East and The Amen Corner for Bristol Old Vic. As a television producer her credits include the series Desmond's for Channel 4 and The Crouches for BBC 1.

Category B is sponsored by The Kobler Trust.

ADDRESS Tricycle Theatre, 269 Kilburn High Road, London NW6 7JR

BOX OFFICE

Phone 020 7328 1000

In person 10am - 9pm Monday - Saturday, 2 - 9pm on Sundays

On-line www.ticketweb.co.uk

Tickets: £10 Mon 8pm and midweek mats at 2pm
£15 Tues - Fri 8pm & Sat mats at 4pm
£20 Saturdays at 8pm

Season ticket - £35 for all three plays

Photo credit: Tristram Kenton

Jaye Griffiths and Sharon Duncan-Brewster

Jimmy Akingbola and Karl Collins

Aml Ameen

Aml Ameen and John Boyega

Aml Ameen and Jaye Griffiths

Robert Whitelock and Aml Ameen