Guest Blog: Actor Abiola Efunshile on the Past, Current and Future Impact of Malorie Blackman's NOUGHTS & CROSSES

Noughts & Crosses was, still is and will continue to be immensely relevant.

My introduction to Noughts & Crosses was as a Year 8 student being a part of a long waiting list to check one of the two copies, we had of the book out of our school library. It was the book to read, and my excitement grew week by week the closer I got to the front of the queue as I narrowly dodged spoilers from my friends.

When I finally got my hands on a copy I was instantly wrapped into Callum and Sephy's forbidden love. I found myself ebbing and flowing as the focus shifted from their budding relationship and then with one turn of the page the violence, prejudice and terrorism that was the norm of this alternate society.

An alternate society that even from the young age of 12 did not feel all that alternate to me.

'Sephy is a Cross - a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a Nought - a colourless member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses'

Being a similar age to the protagonist, I too was becoming increasingly aware of how society portrayed and treated people of different races, genders, and socio-economic backgrounds. The fact that Noughts & Crosses flips this on its head meant that I could empathise with the Crosses because of my physical appearance but I could also strongly empathise with the negative experiences of the Noughts as I and my ancestors shared many of them first hand. This juxtaposition creates something amazing whereby young audiences of all difference races and backgrounds experience this story in many different and individual ways and yet are simultaneously brought together over the idea of compassion in a safe space whilst watching the show.

In our play the subtle sounds of the waves underscore Callum and Sephy's safe space and seemingly washes away the discriminative structures of the widespread society outside their secret beach meeting place. This, in particular, is reflective of the fact that none of us is born to hate, instead, intolerance is taught and subsequently can be untaught, just as the waves roll in and out. The beach in our show is a focal point whereby we check in with Callum and Sephy at key moments and bear witness to the consequences of the harrowing changes in their lives that are out of their control.

Similarly, to my life now as an adult, it is clear that from a certain age life outside your window has more of an effect on you and your being than the life you create inside your own home. Whether it be protests, unprovoked attacks, police brutality, unjust sentencing, murder, or suicide. In a world created on stage, we as a company of actors hold a mirror up to a society of which we are living in right now and many of the scenes are synonymous to major events that are happening today.

Multi-rolling in our show is key in the process of realisation that every type of individual makes up and is a key element of our social constructs. In the rehearsal process I found myself thinking that although a particular character I am playing at any given moment may not have been physically present in a previous scene for example, it still had an affect on who I was as a character and what my character was bringing to the table. (A special mention to tables which are in fact a key prop in our show as they act as weapons, shields and modes of transportation all transformed with ease within the piece.)

Although we are all different individuals and our lives are interchangeable, we all hold a responsibility of absorbing what is around us and thus, reacting in a way that is just. This is why Noughts & Crosses is still relevant today.

Noughts & Crosses is a game that: "once you've grasped its objective and tactics, it invariably ends in a draw - a no-win situation. I think that pretty much sums up racism. Ultimately no one wins" - Malorie Blackman

The show and the story will continue to be relevant in the future as it breathes, grows, and summarises different checkpoints within our lives as the themes run parallel with 12-year-old me, present me and undoubtedly; me in the future. It is a story that speaks to different generations and is carried out fiercely by an ensemble of people who are a collective, a guide, an echo and a foreshadow. It is informative story with heart, character and a narrative of resilience, education, and strength. It is a story that shows that sometimes love just isn't enough. And it is a story that should inspire and activate change.

Abiola will be playing Kelani Adams, Lola and is part of the ensemble in Noughts and Crosses, currently touring into 2023

Photo Credit: Robert Day