Ritika Sharma 
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre today announce the full cast for the stage adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s much-loved novel Noughts & Crosses, adapted by Dominic Cooke, and directed by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director, Tinuke Craig. The production runs from 28 June – 26 July 2025 (Press Night: Tuesday 8 July at 7.45pm).
The cast includes Alec Boaden (Jude), Amanda Bright (Jasmine), Corinna Brown (Sephy), Halle Brown (Lola & Juno), Michael Cusick (Mr Stanhope & Peter), Elle Davies (Shania & Leila), Eddie Elliot (Mr Corsa & Collins & Jack), Emma Jane Goodwin (Sarah Pike), Kate Kordel (Meggie), Jessica Layde (Minerva),Wela Mbusi (Mr Pingule & Governor), Habib Nasib Nader (Kamal), Yolanda Ovide (Dionne & Clerk), Helena Pipe (Reporter & Kelanie & Joannie), Richard Riddell (Ryan), Ben Skym (Colin & Morgan), Noah Valentine (Callum) and Chanel Waddock (Lynette).
Tinuke Craig, Director, said: “I’m so excited to be working with this wonderful cast on this deeply loved story. The company is a thrilling mix of new graduates, seasoned theatre performers and accomplished television actors making their stage debut, and each actor is bringing their own unique perspective and playful energy to Malorie Blackman and Dominic Cooke’s characters. I can’t wait to get started!”
Malorie Blackman | Novel
Malorie is one of the UK’s most popular authors and has written over 70 books for children and young adults, including the Noughts & Crosses series, Thief! and her science fiction thriller Chasing the Stars. The sixth novel in her Noughts & Crosses sequence, Endgame, was published by Penguin Random House Children’s in 2021. In 2023, Noughts & Crosses was named one of The 100 Greatest Children’s Books of All Time in a BBC Culture Poll.
Malorie wrote for the eleventh series of Doctor Who starring Jodie Whittaker, co-writing the episode Rosa with Chris Chibnall which was honoured at the inaugural Visionary Honours Awards for making ‘a positive social impact’. Her work has also been adapted for TV with the six-part adaptation of Pig-Heart Boy winning a BAFTA and a major production of Noughts + Crosses launched by the BBC in 2020. Noughts & Crosses has been adapted for the stage by Dominic Cooke for the RSC and, most recently, by Sabrina Mahfouz for Pilot Theatre. In 2005, Malorie was honoured with the Eleanor Farjeon Award in recognition of her distinguished contribution to the world of children’s books. In 2008 she received an OBE for her services to children’s literature and, between 2013 and 2015, she was the Children’s Laureate.
Malorie’s autobiography Just Sayin’ – My Life in Words was published by Merky Books in October 2022. Full of life lessons, this is a deeply personal and vividly compelling look at an incredible life which defied expectations and inspired a generation. In November 2023, The British Library opened a free exhibition, Malorie Blackman: The Power of Stories, exploring Malorie’s inspirations and the impact she has had on her readers, and on inclusivity and representation in publishing.
Dominic Cooke | Adaptation
Theatre incudes: Hello, Dolly! (The London Palladium), Medea (@sohoplace); Good, The Corn is Green, The Normal Heart, Follies, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Here We Go, Comedy Of Errors (National Theatre); The Low Road, In The Republic of Happiness, Choir Boy, In Basildon, Chicken Soup With Barley, Clybourne Park, Now Or Later, Aunt Dan And Lemon, The Fever, Wig Out!, Rhinoceros, Plasticine (Royal Court Theatre); A Winter’s Tale, Pericles, The Crucible, As You Like It (RSC).
Stage adaptations include: Noughts And Crosses (RSC); Arabian Nights (Young Vic).
TV & Film includes: The Courier; On Chesil Beach; The Hollow Crown – The Wars Of The Roses.
Dominic is Associate of the National Theatre, Artistic Associate of the RSC and was Associate Director then Artistic Director and CEO of the Royal Court Theatre. In 2014 he was made CBE for services to drama.
Tinuke Craig | Director
Training: LAMDA, National Theatre Studio.
As Director includes: A Raisin in the Sun (Headlong Tour); The School for Scandal (Royal Shakespeare Company); The Big Life (Theatre Royal Stratford East); Blue (ENO, London Coliseum); Trouble in Butetown (Donmar Warehouse); Jitney (Leeds Playhouse 2021 and The Old Vic 2022); Last Easter (Orange Tree Theatre); Crave (Chichester Festival Theatre); Hamlet For Young Audiences (Dorfman and National Theatre Tour 2020 and 2022); Cinderella (Lyric Hammersmith); Vassa (Almeida Theatre); The Color Purple (Leicester Curve/Birmingham Hippodrome and UK Tour);random/generations (Chichester Festival Theatre); I Call My Brothers (Gate Theatre); dirty butterfly (Young Vic).
In 2014, Tinuke won the Genesis Future Director Award. She was the Gate’s Associate Director 2015-2016. From 2021-2023 She was Baylis Director at the Old Vic. Tinuke works extensively with Young People and with emerging artists.
Alec Boaden | Jude
Training: Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
Theatre includes: Punch (Nottingham Playhouse, Young Vic).
TV includes: Masters of the Air (Apple TV).
Amanda Bright | Jasmine
For Regent’s Park: To Kill A Mockingbird.
Theatre includes: Cymbeline (Shakespeare’s Globe); Romeo and Juliet (Almeida Theatre); Never Not Once (The Park Theatre); The Snail House (Hampstead); Macbeth, Richard II, Ralegh: The Treason Trial (Shakespeare’s Globe); Meek (Headlong); To Kill A Mockingbird (The Curve) Let Me Play The Lion Too (Barbican/Told By An Idiot); The Government Inspector (Birmingham Repertory Theatre); Dragon (National Theatre of Scotland); True (Deafinitely Theatre); The 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic); Henry V (Orange Tree Theatre); Obama-ology, AchidiJ’s Final Hours (Finborough Theatre); Called to Account(Roundhouse); Bloody Sunday (Tricycle Theatre).
TV includes: The Buccaneers (Apple TV+); In From The Cold (Netflix), Breeders (Sky); Casualty, Marley’s Ghosts, Topsy & Tim, Doctors, Making it at Holb (BBC); Coronation Street (ITV); Euphoria (HOT); Midsomer Murders (Bentley Productions); Prime Suspect 7 (Granada Television).
Film includes: Ride or Die, The Lennox Report, Dear Afro (Team Sass Productions); Christmas at the (Snow) Globe, All The World (Shakespeare’s Globe); Stripping the Illusion (Object); Silent Voices (Quick & Dirty Productions).
Corinna Brown | Sephy
Training: East 15 Acting School
Theatre includes: Coppelia (New Vic Theatre); Woman with Salad (Focal Point Galler); Sleeping Beauty, Mother Goose (Hackney Empire); The Tempest (RADA Youth Company); Macbeth (TWIST Theatre Company).
TV, Film & Multimedia includes: In Flight (Channel 4); Heartstopper (Season 1-3, Netflix); Emergency Exit; Doctors (BBC); Even More Evermoor (Disney Channel); My Murder (BBC); Dashcam; Daphne; Essex Girls (Tape Collective) ; Coppelia: A Mystery (The New Vic Theatre); Kung Fu Sue (Wingbeat Productions); The Show Must Go Online; The Open Air: Reunion Show.
Voice Over includes: The World After (The Focal Point Gallery); Profile (Fire and Iron Productions); Hands on History – Vikings (BBC).
Credits whilst training: O’Toole’s Macbeth, Dr Faustus, Troilus & Cressida.
Halle Brown | Lola & Juno
Training: Arts Educational.
Theatre includes: The Crucible (The National Theatre & The Gielgud), Home Song (The Unicorn), Dolly Parton’s Smokey Christmas Carol (Southbank Centre).
Workshops include: Pavarotti, Marie Curie, Riviera Girl,Homesong and Swag Age: K Musical.
Michael Cusick | Mr Stanhope & Peter
Training: Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
Theatre includes: Edward II (RSC); Bedroom Farce (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch); A View From The Bridge (Theatre Royal Bath, Theatre Royal Haymarket); Noises Off (Theatre Royal Haymarket);Sleepless (Analogue Theatre, Staatstheater Mainz); Against Captain’s Orders (Punchdrunk Enrichment); The Good Neighbour (Battersea Arts Centre).
Television includes: The Sixth Commandment (BBC).
Elle Davies | Shania & Leila
Training: London Academy of Dramatic Art
Theatre includes: Twinbond (Camden People’s Theatre); Sounds Good (Audible).
Credits whilst training: Cyrano De Bergerac (LAMDA); The Angry Brigade (LAMDA).
Eddie Elliot | Mr Corsa & Collins & Jack
Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
Theatre includes: A Strange Loop (Barbican); Blues For An Alabama Sky (National Theatre); The Lion King (West End); Motown: The Musical (West End); Assassins (Watermill/Nottingham Playhouse); Drive Ride Walk (Greenwich); Dry Cleaned (Intermission); Puss in Boots (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds); The Music Man (Chichester); A Chorus Line, The Buddy Holly Story (Gaiety Theatre); Five Guys Named Moe (Theatre at the Mill); Spamilton (Menier Chocolate Factory); South Pacific (Barbican/UK Tour); We Will Rock You (UK Tour);Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater Concert (The Other Palace).
TV includes: Riches, Doctors, EastEnders, The War Between The Land And The Sea.
Eddie is also a comedy-drama screenwriter and currently has a show in development.
Emma Jane Goodwin | Sarah Pike
Training: East 15 Acting School.
Theatre includes: The Ocean at the End of the Lane (UK & Ireland Tour & Westend), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (UK & Ireland Tour, International Tour & West End), Love Steals Us from Loneliness (Camden People’s Theatre & Chapter Arts).
TV includes: Stella, 4Stories.
Kate Kordel | Meggie
Training: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
Theatre includes: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Perspective (National Theatre); The Boss Of It All (Soho Theatre); Richard II, The Comedy of Errors (Tobacco Factory); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Orange Tree); Romeo and Juliet (Bristol Old Vic); He Wore A Red Hat (New Perspectives); The Voices (Warwick Art Centre).
TV includes: Sister Boniface, Doctors (BBC), What It Feels Like For A Girl (BBC3), Coronation Street (ITV), Trial By Jury (Channel 4).
Jessica Layde | Minerva
Theatre includes: All’s Well That Ends Well (RSC); Measure For Measure (Donmar Warehouse); Start (Theatre Peckham); Consensual (Arcola Theatre).
TV and Film include: Malpractice, Endeavour (ITV); The Undeclared War.
Wela Mbusi | Mr Pingule & Governor
Training: Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Theatre includes: My Brilliant Friend (National Theatre); Mansfield Park (Watermill Theatre); The Magician’s Elephant, Henry VI Parts 1-3, Richard III, Henry V (RSC); The Hound of the Baskervilles (The Lost Estate); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Insane Root); Whose Life is it Anyway (Comedy Theatre); Who Killed Mr Drum (Riverside Studios); Measure for Measure (AFTLS); Running Wild (Fiery Angel UK tour); Cymbeline (South Carolina Shakespeare Company); By the way, meet Vera Stark, A Christmas Carol, Clybourne Park (Trust Us Theatre USA);Effie May (Oval Theatre).
Habib Nasib Nader | Kamal
Training: London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Theatre includes: Life Of Pi (Wyndham’s Theatre, Sheffield Theatres), The Grouch (West Yorkshire Playhouse), MTME (Soho Theatre), Madinina (Old Vic).
TV includes: Heartstopper (Seasons 2 & 3, Netflix & SeeSaw Productions), Cuckoo (BBC), Law And Order UK (Kudos), Come Fly With Me (BBC), Beehive (Tiger Aspect), Little Britain (Seasons 1 – 3, BBC).
Film includes: The Golden Compass (New Line Cinema), Four Warriors (Philm Productions), Dungeons and Dragons 3: The Book Of Vile Darkness (Silver Productions), The Libertine (Odyssey Entertainment).
Habib won Best Supporting Actor at the 2022 Olivier Awards and was nominated for Best Supporting Male Actor at the 2022 Black British Theatre Awards for Life of Pi.
Yolanda Ovide | Dionne & Clerk
Training: London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
Theatre includes: Alterations (National Theatre); Slave: A Question of Freedom (Riverside Studios & National Tour); Gangs of New York, The Importance of Being Earnest(Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre); Jitney (Old Vic); Splintered (Soho Theatre); Groan Ups (UK Tour for Mischief Theatre); Unbelievable (The Criterion Theatre).
Helena Pipe | Reporter & Kelanie & Joannie
Theatre includes: Blues For An Alabama Sky (National Theatre); What Do You See? (The Pappy Show); In This World (Theatre For Young People); The Time Traveller’s Wife (Apollo Theatre); School of Rock (UK and Korea Tour);Nativity! The Musical (UK Tour); Oklahoma! (Grange Park Opera); Bare! A Pop Opera (Neptune Theatre); The Color Purple (TROIKA Bermuda).
TV includes: Queenie (Channel 4).
Richard Riddell | Ryan
Training: Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).
Theatre includes: Sing Your Heart Out For The Lads (Chichester Festival Theatre); All Who Pass, Uncle Sasha The Butcher (Royal Court); Gabriel, Titus Andronicus, Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare’s Globe); Pastoral (Soho Theatre); After The Party (West End, Criterion Theatre); Filumena (Almeida); The Merchant of Venice, The Homecoming (RSC).
TV includes: Foundation (Apple TV); Endeavour (ITV); Curfew (Sky); Bodyguard (BBC); The Terror (AMC); Scott and Bailey (ITV); Barbarians Rising (History Channel); Doc Martin (ITV); Penny Dreadful (Showtime); Vera (ITV); Misfits (Channel 4); Merlin (BBC); Waking the Dead (BBC).
Film includes: 55 Steps (Warner Bros); Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Warner Bros); Legend (Working Title); Blitz (Lionsgate); Robin Hood (Universal Pictures); The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus (Sony).
Ben Skym | Colin & Morgan
Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
TV includes: Casualty (BBC); A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story (Silverprint Pictures/ITV).
Credits whilst training include: The Antipodes, The Last of Haussmans, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Parade.
Noah Valentine | Callum
Training: Oldham Theatre Workshop.
TV includes: Waterloo Road, Casualty, Inside No 9, Mother’s Day (BBC); The Bay (ITV).
Film includes:Good Boy.
Chanel Waddock | Lynette
Training: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Theatre includes: Bitter Lemons (Park Theatre, Bristol Old Vic & Edinburgh Fringe Festival); Chariots of Fire; Rock, Paper, Scissors (Sheffield Crucible); Othello (Frantic Assembly – nominated for Ian Charleson Award); Hamlet (National Theatre); Bonsai Baby (Theatre503).
TV includes: The Outlaws (Amazon); This Is Going To Hurt, London Kills (BBC); Andor (Disney+).
Get your tickets here: https://openairtheatre.com/production/noughts-crosses
WRITTEN BY: NURA AROOJ