Casting has been announced for Family Tree by Mojisola Adebayo, a work in development piece that promises to be one of the highlights of  Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF).

It will be staged over seven outdoor performances at Charlton House and Gardens from 27-30 August, presented by ATC, FESTIVAL.ORG  and Young Vic from a co-commission by ATC and Young Vic as part of a development process for a full theatre run in 2022.  

The cast includes Michelle Asante (Our Lady of Kibeho, Theatre Royal Stratford East; Eclipsed, The Gate Theatre), Natasha Cottriall (Future Conditional, The Old Vic;  Into the Woods, Royal Exchange, Manchester), Keziah Joseph (The Language of Kindness, UK Tour; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Bridge Theatre) and Diana Yekinni (Three Sisters, National Theatre;  I’ll Take You to Mrs Cole, Complicité).

Family Tree takes its inspiration from the story of Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman whose cells were harvested and cultivated without her consent after her death from cervical cancer in the 1950s. The so-called HeLa cells have been vital to studying disease and have even contributed to the development of the COVID-19 vaccines.  Using the Lacks story as a springboard, the work is a powerful exploration around the themes of ethics in healthcare, racism, the environment and a woman’s right to autonomy over her own body. 

Directed by ATC’s Artistic Director Matthew Xia, this site-responsive outdoor production is designed by Sandra Falase, with music by Fran Rivers and movement by Vicki Igbokwe.

Xia said: “Mojisola Adebayo has created a play which responds to the present moment whilst holding historical malpractice to account. It’s fearless, brutally honest, at turns hilarious, and ultimately transformative. This ritualistic celebration is our way of uplifting, remembering, and learning from these women who were used in the name of medical advancement.” 

For more information and to book tickets, please click here.