Under the beautiful summer sky of Regent's Park, Malorie Blackman's powerful dystopian love story receives a production that shows both promise and frustration in equal measure. Tinuke Craig's staging of Dominic Cooke's 2007 adaptation brings visual flair and committed performances to this racially-charged Romeo and Juliet, but struggles to find the emotional core that makes Blackman's novel so compelling.
The story's central conceit remains as provocative as ever: in an alternate Britain where dark-skinned 'Crosses' dominate light-skinned 'Noughts', star-crossed lovers Sephy and Callum navigate a world where their friendship is forbidden and their love potentially fatal. It's a clever inversion that holds up a mirror to our own society's prejudices, and the material's urgency feels still relevant in 2025.
Where the production excels is in its performances. Corinna Brown brings an effervescent energy to Sephy, capturing both her privileged naivety and her growing awareness of the injustices around her. Noah Valentine matches her with a compelling portrayal of Callum, finding the right balance between youthful hope and mounting anger. Their chemistry is genuine, making their doomed romance feel authentic rather than manufactured.
The supporting ensemble works hard to populate this divided world, with particularly strong work from Kate Kordel as Callum's mother Meggie and Jessica Layde as Sephy's sister Minerva. The physical production is undeniably striking - Colin Richmond's concrete and steel set design creates an appropriately oppressive atmosphere, while Joshua Pharo's lighting and Max Pappenheim's soundscape conjure a world under constant surveillance.
However, the production feels clunky at crucial moments. Craig's direction seems more concerned with hitting the story's political beats than allowing its emotional truth to emerge organically. Scenes rush by with episodic efficiency, but the relentless pace means that quieter, more intimate moments - where the real heartbreak should live - get swept aside. The script's heavy-handed exposition doesn't help, often forcing characters to state themes rather than embody them.
The result is a production that intellectually engages with its source material's important themes but struggles to make you feel their weight. We understand that this is a tragic love story about the corrosive effects of racism, but we're kept at arm's length from the characters' inner lives.
This is particularly frustrating because the bones of something more powerful are clearly there. In moments where the production slows down and allows its young leads to simply be together, the emotional stakes become clear. But these moments are too few, overwhelmed by the production's determination to cover every plot point and theme from Blackman's rich novel.
The result is a competent but uneven evening that showcases strong performances within a staging that never quite finds its rhythm. It's a production that will likely work better for younger audiences already familiar with the source material, but may leave adult theatregoers feeling somewhat detached from the characters' fates.
Noughts & Crosses runs at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre until 26 July 2025.
Photos: Manuel Harlan