Noughts & Crosses, now playing at Regents Park Open Air Theatre, deals with very heavy themes that might not be to everyone’s liking.
Based on a best selling and well-received book by Malorie Blackman doesn’t mean that it will transfer as well to the stage, and this production doesn’t. It’s the story of an inter-racial romance between two very young people: Jude (a very good Alec Boaden), and Sephy (Corinna Brown, who looks almost too young to play her mid-teens character). Jude, who is white (Naughts), comes from a working class background, with a younger brother and sister. Sephy, who is black (Crosses), comes from a very privileged background, and while her parents are split up, her father, the Deputy Prime Minister (Eddie Elliott), is still a very hands on dad, while her mother Jasmine (Amanda Bright) has a drinking problem. And Ironically Jude’s mother Meggie (Kate Kordel – who does a lot of yelling and wailing in this show) used to be the house cleaner to Sephy’s family.
As Jude and Sephy’s relationship starts to intensify, so do their parents objections. Violence between the races and families flare up, and it’s at this point that Naught’s & Crosses becomes a show with heavy messages – straight out of the headlines – and very preachy. It’s also too long, especially the last 30 minutes or so which are entirely implausible. Kudos to the young actors who win us over and act their hearts out, but it’s not enough to save this show from being very credible and very very heavy on the dramatics. Throw in a bombing, a hanging and a kidnapping and it’s all bit too much. We love Regents Park Open Air Theatre but shows like this in the middle of our glorious summer is just unfun.
Noughts & Crosses is on now until Julyb 26th.