Heartstopper Star Stuns In Powerful New Play

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3 stars

As a young movie buff in the UK, I remember reading Malorie Blackman‘s novel Noughts & Crosses during my school days. In this thought-provoking YA book, Blackman paints an alternate world where African descendants (Crosses) hold the upper hand economically and politically, while discriminating against those of European descent (Noughts).

The game Noughts & Crosses showcases the longstanding prejudice that black individuals have faced throughout history. According to Blackman, our main character Callum (a Nought) had to deal with situations that mirrored experiences from her own upbringing and adolescence, such as struggling during his history class or facing questions for occupying a first-class train compartment.

In the world of Noughts & Crosses, it’s common to see segregation, official harassment, biased trials with exclusively Cross jury members, and controlled media news. After 24 years, the tale of Blackman’s injustice resonates profoundly in today’s context.

In the play, Callum poses an intriguing thought: one individual might be viewed as a terrorist, while another could be seen as a freedom fighter. This raises the question: just how far should someone push for equality?

Speaking of which, staging Noughts & Crosses on the theater isn’t a simple task. Dominic Cooke’s adaptation from the book was initially performed at the Royal Shakespeare Company back in 2007, and now he’s transferred the performance to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in London.

For the first time ever, I visited an open-air theater in Regent’s Park, and the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. Despite its modest size, the charm lay in the fact that we could witness the sunset and hear birds chirping as the performance unfolded. The park served as a picturesque backdrop to Colin Richmond’s brutalist set design, featuring rusty towers, menacing walkways, and gray tiles that bore a resemblance to a prison (or the bathroom from Saw I…). This staging created an atmosphere of imminent peril.

In the world of cinema I inhabit, it’s clear that our contemporary Romeo and Juliet, Callum (portrayed by Noah Valentine) and Sephy (brilliantly played by Corinna Brown), are walking a tightrope over treacherous waters. You see, Sephy is a Cross and her camaraderie with Callum, a Nought, is met with skepticism at best; she’s even physically attacked for simply sharing a lunch table with him, and when she pays her condolences following the tragic death of Callum’s sister Lynette, she’s unceremoniously shown the door from his home.

In a convincing manner, Brown and Valentine appear to be real-life friends turned lovers on stage, making their romantic storyline captivating to watch. Additionally, it was intriguing to observe how their characters developed maturity throughout the play, particularly during challenging situations.

Instead, these intense sequences seemed to exhaust the production process. Cooke’s adaptation of Noughts & Crosses appeared somewhat hurried and patronizing. Despite maintaining fidelity to Blackman’s novel, I believe some scenes could have been omitted, and more time could have been dedicated to developing the tender moments between Callum and Sephy.

In every scene where Meggie (portrayed by Kate Kordal) appears on stage, she either shouts or cries intensely. This could be due to a variety of reasons: her husband being sentenced to life imprisonment, the loss of her daughter, her other son going missing, or Callum receiving the death penalty.

In the book or movie, the excessive grittiness leaves little room for exploring other subplots in depth. For instance, I found myself yearning for a deeper understanding of the connection between Sephy’s mother Jasmine (portrayed by Amanda Bright) and Callum’s parents.

In other words, the weighty nature of Noughts & Crosses serves to emphasize significant themes and ideas, and its relevance remains strong in 2025 as it did in 2001.

For more of the best open air theatre shows, take a look at our guide.

Where and when can I see Noughts & Crosses?

Noughts & Crosses is at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in London from now until 26th July 2025.

How to get Noughts & Crosses tickets

Currently, you can purchase tickets for the play “Noughts & Crosses” over at TodayTix. The prices range from approximately £33 per ticket.

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2025-07-11 15:35