Review: NOUGHTS & CROSSES, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Malorie Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses has long been something of a YA classic. It falls into several tropes of the genre, from forbidden young love to resistance against a somewhat dystopian regime. Rather than dreaming up a sci-fi future, however, this story presents instead an uncanny alternate present – one where discrimination and racial violence are worse than ever, but it's Black people who are the privileged ones.

The book, and now the show, take place in Albion, an alternate Britain where Black people (Crosses) are the ruling class over white people (Noughts), and segregation is still in effect. We meet childhood friends Sephy (Corinna Brown), the wealthy daughter of a Cross politician, and Callum (Noah Valentine), one of the first Noughts to be admitted to an elite Cross school. Already divided by both systematic discrimination and everyday racism, their lives quickly complicate when Callum’s dad and brother become involved in what is labelled as a group of pro-Nought political terrorists.  

As it begins, it seems as though this production of Noughts & Crosses is leaning into its younger audience. Brown and Valentine giggle and bat their lashes, the very picture of first love, and when the racial discrimination of the world comes into effect, it is through school bullying and family arguments. There’s almost a streak of humour running through it all, with ‘blackmailing’ referred to as ‘whitemailing’ and quips about only brown plasters being available for first aid.

Soon, though, the story escalates into something a lot darker. In its roughly two-hour run time, Noughts & Crosses tackles terrorism, kidnapping, the death penalty, suicide, and sexual violence. Its second act is oftentimes chilling, filled with horror after horror and not shying away from depicting on stage the worst this world has to offer.

Herein lies the main issue with this adaptation: rather than using this escalation to show how young people can get swept up in systems of violence and discrimination, Noughts & Crosses is at odds with itself. It feels as though it’s at once trying to be a school trip-friendly fable, and a hard-hitting piece of theatre with a more adult audience in mind. This carries through from Dominic Cooke’s script to Tinuke Craig’s direction: some of the early scenes feel overly childlike, with exaggerated voice work and twee humour, in contrast to the second half, which doesn't hold back on more graphic scenes of death and violence. 

But while the show struggles to find its tone, there’s no denying that it’s still quite the theatrical feat. A huge amount of plot is swiftly tucked into a standard-length show, and not one cast member buckles under its weight. Craig creates a visually bold, smartly crafted ensemble piece – cast members rarely leave the stage, instead watching intently from the sidelines as Callum and Sephy meet in secret. The ensemble is almost a character in itself, watching and waiting in the shadows and reminding us that for these characters, there’s really nowhere to hide. Craig also uses Colin Richmond’s multi-layer, labyrinthine set to physically show the tiers of Albion’s society, clearly considering which characters stand tall in the light and which hide themselves away.

Richmond’s set plays a key role in making the design work on this production memorably brilliant. Joshua Pharo’s lighting design illuminates its corners and corridors, and consistently finds a gritty-yet-contemporary visual identity. The absolute standout of this production, however, is Max Pappenheim’s sound design. Using the expansive, open air theatre to his advantage, Pappenheim brings audiences fully into this world, from the soft ebb and flow of a beach to the rowdy, echoing corridors of a prison. The yells and footsteps he pulls together for a key chase towards the end of the show are a real feat of sound design, with several audience members turning round to check there wasn’t really someone behind them. 

All of these technical elements also come together to create some of the most impressive explosion scenes London theatre has seen in a long time – along with movement director Ingrid Mackinnon and fight direction company RC Annie. As bodies lay strewn around the space and clouds of smoke billow forwards, there’s a palpable sense of fear and panic. In fact, the fight direction and movement are a real strength across what is a pretty violence-heavy production. From petty slaps to full-on life-or-death moments, everything is choreographed with style and grit. Mackinnon also crafts a particularly impressive moment of intimacy, creatively getting everything across with minimal actual contact.

Kudos must go to this cast for handling not only a thematically heavy story, but one that’s also so physically demanding. The breakout star here is Noah Valentine as Callum, who finds a recognisable core spirit that carries through the play. He personifies both Callum’s awkward teenage boyhood, and the frustration, heartbreak, and anger constantly bubbling below the surface, shouldering many of the play’s trickiest moments. Meanwhile, Corinna Brown is full of girlish confidence as Sephy, before finding the character’s heart and emotional vulnerability as the show progresses. Their chemistry is not always totally believable, but both give well-matched and capable leading turns. 

Across a strong ensemble, other standouts include Alec Boaden as Callum’s angrier brother Jude: he makes the character genuinely intimidating without losing sight of Jude's humanity. Sticking with siblings, Jessica Layde finds all the subtleties in Sephy’s sister Minerva, making this smaller part memorable. Kate Kordel gives her all to Callum’s heartbroken mother Meggie, bringing real emotion to a role that doesn’t really let up from beginning to end. 

When I remember reading Malorie Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses around ten years ago, I think of it as a dystopian love story. But, as this production reveals, that’s not quite the truth. As director Craig writes in the programme, ‘there’s nothing in Noughts & Crosses that didn’t happen at some point in our human history.’ This story is one that’s unfortunately perpetually resonant, with the discussion of activism and terrorism now bringing to mind the recent banning of Palestine Action, as well as the BLM movement that rose to extra prominence in 2020.

Blackman’s concept of taking real incidents of racism throughout our past and present and flipping them upside down is deceptively simple, finding a new angle on how we think about racial discrimination and systematic inequality. This is not a production that gives you straightforward instructions – it unapologetically asks more questions than it answers, and doesn't tell audiences how to think. In fact, some of its strongest moments are when it leans into the moral grey areas its characters often occupy.

This adaptation of Noughts & Crosses may struggle to find its tone and intended audience, but it’s still a bold, ambitious piece of theatre. With smart, movement and ensemble led direction and slick, powerful design work, this is another success for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, and a show that sticks with you long after its dramatic end. 

Noughts & Crosses runs at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre until 26 July