The Royal Court Theatre has announced that Ryan Calais Cameron and Monique Touko will co-direct the world premiere of The Afronauts.
The new play, written by Calais Cameron, will run from Saturday 14 November to Saturday 19 December 2026, with a press night scheduled for Monday 23 November 2026.
The Afronauts marks the finale of the Royal Court’s 70th anniversary celebrations and brings together two of Britain’s most exciting contemporary theatre-makers.
The production tells the true(ish) story of the Zambian Space Program in 1964, as a schoolteacher rallies a group of unlikely recruits to compete in the global race to reach the moon.
The announcement follows recent recognition for the Royal Court, which received a Gold Award at the 2026 Chelsea in Bloom festival for a floral installation inspired by the production.
Monique Touko previously appeared at the Royal Court with the sold-out world premiere G by Tife Kusoro, while Ryan Calais Cameron is currently Associate Playwright at the venue following the success of Retrograde.
The production is part of Genesis Next Generation, a Genesis Foundation project.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
