The Rose Theatre, Kingston-Upon-Thames – until 11th February 2023
Reviewed by Bobbi Fenton
5*****
What would the world be like if racist oppression was reversed? Noughts and Crosses, by Malorie Blackman, explores just that in a remarkable fashion. In a world that is run by Crosses (black people), where Noughts (white people) are oppressed through enforced segregation, a so-called ‘terrorist’ organisation fights back. Callum (James Arden) and Sephy (Effie Ansah) have been friends since early childhood and have secretly been meeting up at Sephy’s family’s beach for the last three years, and now Callum is about to start attending the same school as Sephy. This is only the beginning, as we see Callum exposed to more and more oppression, and becoming more involved with the Liberation Militia, following in his Father, Ryan’s (Daniel Copeland) and brother, Jude’s (Nathaniel McCloskey) footsteps. James Arden and Effie Ansah are absolutely brilliant in this play, and portray these characters so perfectly.
Malorie Blackman creates a mirror with real events that have happened through history, such as the scene in which a bomb is planted in the shopping centre, and Ryan (Daniel Copeland) and Jude (Nathaniel McCloskey) insist there was a warning so people could evacuate before it exploded.
This play, adapted by Sabrina Mahfouz, challenges modern day racism by making the play seem like it takes place in a dystopian society despite reflecting real attitudes that have been commonplace at one point or another in history, simply through role reversal. By having Black characters as the top of the hierarchy, and white people as being oppressed, it seems almost difficult to see as realistic, which forces an audience to address their own unconscious bias towards minorities.
All of the actors in this show are amazing, portraying the characters wonderfully. I especially liked Daniel Norford’s portrayal of Sephy’s father, Kamal, as we see his character develop throughout the play, evolving from a quiet anger in the beginning to enraged shouting towards the end. Not to mention Daniel Copeland as Ryan, Callum’s father. Despite only being in the play for a small amount of time, Copeland’s portrayal of Ryan is outstanding. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him interact with Nathaniel McCloskey, who played Jude. The two were brilliant.
Noughts and Crosses is captivating beyond belief. It is nothing like what I was expecting and better than anything I could have imagined. Its only downfall is a slight issue with the volume, as I found it slightly difficult to hear the occasional line. Despite this, it is a definite must-see, that should absolutely not be missed.