Noughts and Crosses

 To the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich with a bus load of other members of the U3A Theatre Group on

Malorie Blackman

Saturday afternoon to see Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses. This production was part of the theatrical umbrella enterprises of Pilot Theatre, a York-based touring theatre company committed to creating high-quality theatre for younger audiences. As an integral part of its endeavour to create a cultural and theatrical space for the young, it offers school workshops and outreach work alongside its productions.

Malorie Blackman has written over 70 books for children and young adults, including the Noughts and Crosses series [six books so far!], receiving a number of awards for her work including the Eleanor Farjeon Award for distinguished contributions to the world of children’s books [2005]; an O.B.E. for services to children’s literature [2008] and honoured as Children’s Laureate between 2013 and 2015. This new production in Ipswich was adapted for the stage by Sabrina Mahfouz and had been previously adapted for the Royal Shakespeare Company by Dominic Cooke.

Noughts and Crosses is about forbidden love, set in a world where young people, full of dreams and
potential, are yet powerless to make changes against overwhelming societal and racial structures. The world portrayed is very similar to our world now but yet with crucial social differences. All power is in the hands of those with black skins, the Crosses, while the Noughts, the whites, are totally deprived and marginalised. There are special, inferior, schools for Noughts who may not own property or passports, who must live in inferior housing in poorer areas and may only do menial jobs for low income. They must remain, and are kept, servile and separate and uneducated; inter-marriage is impossible, forbidden by law. They have virtually no normal human rights in a society based on entrenched discrimination. One is reminded, with a skin-swap, of South Africa fifty years ago, or of the plight and status of Dalits or Untouchables in the Hindu caste system in India, officially, legally mitigated, but still largely there after 2000 years. Today, within three groups officially designated as Scheduled Caste or Tribe or, [even more breath-taking] Other Backward Classes, 39% have no formal education at all. India’s population numbers 1.38 billion.

Sephy and Callum

The Ipswich stage set was brilliant; there was a simple abstract space with a chequerboard of squares which could be used as doors, windows, walls or simply remain as static background. Furniture was minimal and occasional. This enabled the short, fast-paced flowing scenes, often high-octane and emotional; poetic and fleeting, to command the complete attention of the audience. The drama and relationships demanded centre stage attention and the onstage landscape effectively underlined and provided that.

This book is a G.C.S.E. set book and one can see why! It was interesting to me to note that Saturday’s [12/11/2022] audience was chiefly half and half; one half, exam. candidates enjoying a riveting and

memorable exposition of one of their set books; the other, elderly theatregoers fascinated by the quickly moving stage narrative and struggling with the feeling of watching contemporary life portrayed onstage, almost recognisable, almost familiar, and yet strangely, movingly, different. Interesting indeed to see how well each half-audience valued the theatrical altered reality on offer and so rewarding to see so many teenagers in the audience of live theatre. As we left, people were buzzing with appreciation and critical opinion. I rather think that this is what theatre should be about!

James Arden as Callum

Effie Ansah as Sephy