Full cast announced for world premiere of PIG HEART BOY
Unicorn Theatre, Sheffield Theatres and Children’s Theatre Partnership have announced the full cast for the powerful new stage adaptation of multi-award-winning writer Malorie Blackman’s beloved novel Pig Heart Boy.
The incredible cast includes Immanuel Yeboah (Divine, Brixton House) as Cameron, Tré Medley (Taming Who, Arcola Theatre) as Dr Bryce/Andrew, Akil Young (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre) as Mike/Rashid, Christine During (Result, The Pleasance) as Cathy/Julie, Christina Ngoyi (Wishmas, Secret Cinema) as Marilyn/Elrich/Presenter/Officer, and Chia Phoenix (Cake, Theatre Peckham) as Nan/Trudy/Mrs Stewart/LEPAR Lady, with Olivia Williams Freeman (Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience) and Rhys Lanahan (A Mustard Seed, BBC Short) as Understudies.
Pig Heart Boy will premiere at the Unicorn Theatre from 26 January before visiting Sheffield, Liverpool, Salford, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Norwich, Newcastle, Poole, Blackpool, Northampton, Canterbury, and Leicester.
Adapted by acclaimed playwright Winsome Pinnock and directed by Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, this poignant adaptation of the 1997 book explores themes of childhood illness, identity and the profound choices we make to survive.
Cameron has always dreamed of living a normal life: making friends, going to school, and diving to the bottom of his local swimming pool. But his world is turned upside down when he is diagnosed with a serious heart condition and faces an urgent need for a heart transplant. With time running out, Cameron is offered a new heart – as he finds himself having to face a difficult decision - how far will he go to get the life he desperately wants back?
Malorie Blackman said: “I am delighted that Pig Heart Boy will be staged at the Unicorn, the UK’s leading theatre for young audiences, ahead of a national UK tour. Though I wrote the story a while ago, it is still as relevant today as it was when first published and the topic of organ donation is still an urgent one. The Unicorn has the most lively and enthusiastic audience and a world class reputation for tackling big weighty issues in an accessible way so it will be a thrill for me to see how audiences will react to the challenges Cameron, the main character, faces in the play.”