Review: Noughts & Crosses at Northern Stage, Newcastle
Noughts & Crosses, the modern-day Romeo and Juliet adaptation by acclaimed writer Malorie Blackman, is exploring so many important issues at Northern Stage
Sephy is a Cross and Callum is a Nought and, as with any Romeo and Juliet tale, they’re in love, but that love is forbidden. There are racial and social divides between Noughts and Crosses, so their romance can only lead to danger.
In this production, directed by Esther Richardson, a simplistic but artistically clever set acts as a canvas for various locations, from beach to café to underground bunker. As the story unfolds, the set does too. Sections of red squares open like windows and doors, the whole backdrop parts in the middle to reveal steps to a platform, and TV screens are projected onto it to add a digital element to the storytelling in the form of news reports. The lighting is clever too, particularly in scenes where both families appear on stage, and especially during the dramatic bombing scene where loud bangs and strobe lighting shock audience members.
What’s so clever about this story is that although it’s set in an altered reality, the topics it covers are very real. In this world black people hold positions of power and white people are marginalised. The way the cast use language and tone is all too familiar. Brianna Douglas who plays Sephy is particularly smart in the way she portrays her character’s well-meaning intentions in act one and mature outlook in act two. A cast of eight means some play more than one character. Elexi Walker is genius in the way she switches from Sephy's mum Jasmine into very different roles throughout.
This is a powerful and thought-provoking production and certainly one I wish I’d been introduced to at a younger age, so it’s brilliant to see so many students in the audience and, more importantly, their reactions. Northern Stage are offering education resources and workshops alongside this production – more of that please!
