Noughts & Crosses review: ‘Star-crossed love story shines through in joyless production’ ★★

It was only ever a matter of time before the stage adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s classic book arrived. The story inverts the way racism manifests itself in our society by making whites second class citizens and Black people the more likely beneficiaries of privilege and prosperity.

However the buoyant goodwill that families and fans will doubtless bring to this production dissipates like air from a deflating balloon as this show makes its joyless progress. Dominic Cooke’s script is solid enough but the laboured messaging of Tinuke Craig’s dour vision apparently forbids such frivolous theatrical devices as humour, colour and wit.

At the core of the story is the childhood, teen and then young adult relationship between deputy prime minister’s daughter Sephy (Corinna Brown) and Callum (Noah Valentine) whose mother used to work for Sephy’s.

Callum is now a rare white Nought in the Sephy’s school, which is mainly populated by well-to-do Crosses. The children’s friendship is under pressure, especially from Sephy’s peers who bully the girl for being loyal to Callum.