Casting has been announced for Nancy Medina’s acclaimed production of Choir Boy by Academy Award‑winning writer Tarell Alvin McCraney, running at Stratford East from 26 March to 25 April. The production was a standout of Medina’s first season as Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic in 2023, winning three Black British Theatre Awards including Best Production and Best Director.
Terique Jarrett will reprise his award‑winning performance as Pharus, having won the Black British Theatre Award for Best Male Lead Actor in a Play for the role. Michael Ahomka‑Lindsay also returns as David, alongside Daon Broni as Headmaster Marrow, Khalid Daley as JR and Martin Turner as Mr Pendleton.
Rabi Kondé joins the company as Bobby, with Freddie MacBruce as AJ.
Jarrett’s recent credits include Juniper Blood at the Donmar Warehouse, Fangirls at Lyric Hammersmith and “Daddy”: A Melodrama at the Almeida Theatre. Ahomka‑Lindsay’s work includes Reverberation at Bristol Old Vic and Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, while Broni, Daley and Turner bring extensive experience from the RSC, Stratford East, Shakespeare’s Globe and the West End.
The play follows Pharus, a gifted choir soloist whose confidence is shaken after a confrontation with a peer. What unfolds is a powerful exploration of identity, spirituality, sexuality, race and brotherhood within the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys.
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Threaded with stirring a cappella gospel hymns, Choir Boy charts the boys’ journey toward adulthood, celebrating individuality and resilience.
McCraney is a Tony Award‑nominated playwright and Academy Award‑winning screenwriter whose script In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue formed the basis of the Oscar‑winning film Moonlight. His plays include The Brother/Sister Plays, Head of Passes, Wig Out! and Choir Boy, which itself was nominated for four Tony Awards.
Nancy Medina, Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic, returns to direct following her award‑winning staging. Her recent credits span the National Theatre, Kiln Theatre, Royal & Derngate, Young Vic and the Geffen Playhouse.
The creative team for Choir Boy includes Tatenda Shamiso as Co‑Director, Max Johns on set and costume design, Femi Temowo as arranger and musical director, Donato Wharton on composition and sound, Nao Nagai on lighting, and Ingrid MacKinnon on movement and intimacy. Casting is by Julia Horan CDG.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
