Review of ‘Noughts and Crosses’: “Stage adaptation of Blackman’s novel ends in a cat’s game”

Malorie Blackman’s dystopian novel travels to the stage with the opening of this new adaptation, playing at Regent’s Open Air Theatre until the end of the month. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show — to let us know if its X-treme storyline and O-striking themes come into play.

We’ve learned through history that fighting hatred with hatred can only bring greater destruction. Yet, if there’s one thing it has taught us over the years, it’s how easily we forget those notions. Author Malorie Blackman revisited that concept through a compelling anger in the dystopian novel Noughts and Crosses — a tale of race, class, and doomed love set in a parallel universe where white people are confined to the lower levels of society, subject to continuous prejudice and discrimination.

It’s an interesting twist on a not-too-original premise. Yet, the possibilities for an engaging and potentially thought-provoking jaunt still lie on the table. To some extent, playwright Dominic Crook collects some of them through an absorbing first half, which, though occasionally leaning towards the cliche, is still capable of delivering a sincere, arresting, and poignant narrative.

I should have hired Ray William Johnson for this moment — trust me when I tell you this desperately needs his epic “until”. If Act One carried out its task with enough decency, its underwhelming successor has crushed all its efforts, with both the pacing and execution being its highest casualties. The depth and pathos that hooked the viewer during its initial instalment have now vanished. Instead, they’re replaced by a chain of underdeveloped side stories, shallow arcs, and an overall sense of haste that buries every accomplishment previously made.

Consequently, the aftertaste it leaves us with is far from satisfactory, and predominantly sour. Not because of the heart-wrenching events they’ve exposed us to, but due to the lack of care and elaborateness they exude. There’s no truthfulness or gravitas to be taken by. Everything feels incredibly derivative and often overly melodramatic — hopelessly trying to handle too many plot lines and, in that endeavour, letting all the resonance of its themes slip away.

We can still praise Tinuke Craig’s direction, primarily due to the visual power of its staging — admittedly, one of the production’s strongest assets. Colin Richmond’s design features a decaying complex of oxidised scaffolds and ladders to build both a dynamic and transporting atmosphere, enhancing the bleakness of the play’s setting while also creating moments of absolute eye-striking grip. There’s nothing new in any of its choices — we’ve seen acts of violence depicted through the mixture of strobe lighting and slow-motion choreography before. But that doesn’t make it any less effective.

As for the cast, the company displays a decent degree of chemistry and commitment. Sadly, that doesn’t determine the same level of deftness across the company. And in some cases, you may be encountering the slight opposite. In that aspect, Corina Brown offers the weakest performance as the lead character, Sephy, unable to play her with enough nuance and layering, and sometimes, lacking sufficient credibility and presence.

Co-star Noah Valentine makes a noticeable distinction through his absorbing portrayal of the conflicted Callum — generally impeccable and unearthing the role’s tumultuous nature with extraordinary prowess. In addition, Alec Boaden as Jude and Kate Kordel as Meggie give a masterclass in fine acting through the emotional forcefulness of their interpretations, both coming off as the most memorable and captivating appearances of the evening.

Playing it fair and square in terms of the message it attempts to convey, but unable to think outside the box, Noughts and Crosses sets up a fulfilling grid of meaningful topics. Yet, its heavy-handed approach prevents it from doing much else than tic-tac-toeing above them, resulting in a banal assortment of ideas that, no matter how promising, can hardly realise its aptitudes. Far from dotting the i’s, the show may still harvest a few Os of surprise, but none of them are likely they make three in a row.

All pictures credit to Manuel Harlan.

Noughts and Crosses plays at Regent’s Open Air Theatre until 26 July. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara