The Royal Court Theatre and Nica Burns have announced the full cast and creative team for the world premiere of The Afronauts, a new play by award-winning writer Ryan Calais Cameron, who will co-direct the production alongside Monique Touko.
The production marks the finale of the Royal Court Theatre’s 70th anniversary Downstairs season and runs from 14 November to 19 December 2026, with a press night on 23 November.
Inspired by the true(ish) story of the Zambian Space Program, The Afronauts follows a schoolteacher who gathers a group of dreamers and outsiders to compete in the global race to the moon following Zambia’s independence in 1964.
Leading the cast is Lucian Msamati as Edward, alongside Ama Qamata, making her UK stage debut as Matha. Ivanno Jeremiah reunites with Cameron following his acclaimed performance in Retrograde and will play Simon.
They are joined by Chomba S. Taulo as Ben, Munashe Chirisa as Cheelo, Pamela Nomvete as Grace, Lukwesa Mwamba as Liji and Prince Kundai as David.
The creative team includes set designer Soutra Gilmour, costume designer Kinnetia Isidore, lighting designer Ryan Day, composer and sound designer Khalil Madovi, video designer Dick Straker, movement director Kloé Dean, wigs, hair and makeup designer Cynthia De La Rosa, casting director Heather Basten, dramaturg Gillian Greer, cultural dramaturg Mwansa Phiri and assistant director Danielle Kassaraté.
Described as “a love letter to the dreamers history forgot”, the play explores imagination, liberation and the pursuit of the impossible through the lens of one of Africa’s most remarkable untold stories.
Ryan Calais Cameron said: “The Afronauts is a love letter to the dreamers history forgot. It’s about what happens when imagination becomes a form of resistance, and how the fight for freedom isn’t just political, it’s cosmic. At its heart, this play asks: what does liberation look like when the whole universe is watching? For me, it’s not just a story about reaching the moon, it’s about the courage to believe we belonged there all along.”
Monique Touko added: “The Afronauts is an offering to those who want to break out of existing confines, reach for the stars, and believe in more than what appears to be available. It imagines a space where Black bodies and ideas are not bound, but redefined, rediscovered, and able to transcend beyond what we can comprehend. Ending the 70th season of the Royal Court, reframing and spotlighting this historic event is a huge honour. This show is a moment for the culture – a reflection of the past, highlighting the strength of the shoulders we stand on, the fight we unfortunately inherit and the opportunity to fly beyond expectation.”
Commissioned by the Genesis Foundation through the Genesis Next Generation programme at the Royal Court, the production also receives support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Program in Public Understanding of Science and Technology.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
