FAMILY TREE Cast Announced
The world premiere is presented by ATC and Belgrade Theatre, in association with Brixton House
By: Aliya Al-Hassan Feb. 13, 2023
Aminita Francis (Red Riding Hood, Liverpool EVERYMAN), Keziah Joseph (Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear, NATIONAL THEATRE), Mofetoluwa Akande (A Christmas Carol, BRISTOL OLD VIC), Aimée Powell (Nothello, BELGRADE THEATRE) and Alistair Hall (Safe, NORWICH THEATRE ROYAL) are cast in the World Premiere and National Tour of Mojisola Adebayo's award-winning play Family Tree, presented by Actors Touring Company (ATC) and Belgrade Theatre Coventry in association with Brixton House Theatre.
This powerful and poetic drama explores race, health, the environment and the incredible legacy of one of the most influential Black women of modern times, Henrietta Lacks, whose influence on modern-day medicine still reverberates today.
Originally commissioned by ATC, the UK's leading theatre producer of international plays, and the Young Vic Theatre in 2020, as an outdoor work-in-progress piece which was showcased at the 2021 Greenwich + Docklands International Festival.
This brand new 2023 production opening at the Belgrade Theatre Coventry from 10 - 17 March 2023 will be the fully-realised stage play directed by ATC's award-winning Artistic Director Matthew Xia and is part of a 13-week National Tour taking in 12 venues until 17 June 2023 from Keswick to Plymouth, via London, Liverpool and Bristol.
Family Tree won the 2021 Alfred Fagon Award, the leading Black British Playwrighting prize, for best new play. Director Matthew Xia, says: "Mojisola Adebayo is an exceptional writer and I'm excited that her award-winning play will be seen by audiences far and wide. There's a beauty in her work that responds so well to the present moment whilst also holding historical malpractice to account. It's fearless, brutally honest, at turns hilarious, and ultimately transformative.
"Henrietta's HeLa cell line forms the basis of the most important medical research and breakthroughs across the last 70 years, from Cancer and HIV to COVID, we owe our lives to her. Denied her place in history, now is the time to bring Henrietta's epic legacy to life on stage."
Mojisola Adebayo adds: "'When I met Matthew Xia, Henrietta Lacks came into our minds at exactly the same time. Xia is magic but Lacks is more, she's immortal and her body has touched every life on the planet - yours, mine... So why have so few people heard of her? Let alone Lucy, Betsey, Anarcha and more... The play paints a family tree of Black women whose cells, blood and waters have birthed, raised and changed the world. Matthew said to me: "I want the audience to leave the theatre looking up". I went away and wrote a play on a promise. Come see it."
The Belgrade's CEO, Laura Elliot and Creative Director, Corey Campbell says: "We're thrilled to be co-producing Family Tree with Actors Touring Company. Its mission and message are ones we align ourselves with at the Belgrade and we're honoured to be hosting its world premiere in Coventry."
Brixton House adds: "Family Tree spotlights the story of Henrietta Lacks, and what we owe to her legacy. Henrietta's story will surprise many whilst also highlighting the need for medical research to be more transparent especially as a concern for Black communities. Family Tree is an urgent part of our history and a unique opportunity for the Black diaspora to connect and reflex on how our bodies have long been commodified. Brixton House embarks on an exciting partnership with ATC to bring this production to Brixton as the genesis of future partnerships."
Background
Commissioning Mojisola Adebayo's play was originally borne out of Actors Touring
Company's (ATC) commitment to commissioning new plays from female writers of colour
for the first three years of Matthew Xia's tenure (2019-21). This was alongside ATC's mission
during the same period to produce UK premieres of contemporary international plays, all of
which were exclusively by female writers of colour. The strategy aimed to pro-actively improve and elevate the representation and diversity of playwriting voices in ATC's work and in the wider sector.
CAST
Aminita Francis Henrietta Lacks
Mofetoluwa Akande Ain, Anarcha, Oshun (multi-rolling parts)
Keziah Joseph Bibi and Betsy (multi-rolling parts)
Aimée Powell Lyn and Lucy (multi-rolling parts)
Alistair Hall Smoking Man
CREATIVE TEAM:
Playwright: Mojisola Adebayo
Director: Matthew Xia
Set and Costume Designer: Simon Kenny
Costume Supervisor Maybelle Laye
Lighting Designer: Simisola Majekodunmi
Sound Designer: Francesca Amewudah-Rivers
Movement Director: Diane Alison Mitchell
Drama Therapist: Wabriya King
Associate Producer: Melina Barnett
Associate Director: Amelia Thornber
NATIONAL TOUR - Venues and Dates
Mar 10 - 17 Belgrade Theatre Coventry - Press Night - March 14
April 5-7 Traverse Edinburgh
April 12 - 23 Brixton House - Press Night - April 12
April 27 - 29 Tron Glasgow
May 4 -6 Liverpool Everyman
May 11 Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
May 16 - 20 Theatre Royal Plymouth
May 23 - 24 Sheffield Crucible (Playhouse)
May 26 - 27 North Wall Oxford
June 1 - 3 Nottingham Playhouse
June 8 - 10 New Wolsey Ipswich
June 13 - 17 Tobacco Factory Bristol
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