Lucian Msamati to lead the cast of Ryan Calais Cameron's 'The Afronauts'

Co-directed with Monique Touko, Ryan Calais Cameron's play is a Zambian space race epic, which sees a schoolteacher bring together a group of dreamers and train them for lift-off.

Full cast and creative team has been revealed for the world premiere of Ryan Calais Cameron's The Afronauts, which opens at the Royal Court on 14 November, running through 19 December.

The cast will be led by Lucian Msamati (Game of Thrones, Slow Horses, Conclave, Waiting for Godot) as Edward, with Ama Qamata (Blood & Water) making her UK stage debut as Matha.

The company is completed by Ivanno Jeremiah, who previously starred in Calais Cameron's Retrograde as Simon, Chomba S. Taulo (The Book of Mormon) as Ben, Munashe Chirisa (The Play That Goes Wrong) as Cheelo, Pamela Nomvete (Skeleton Crew) as Grace, Lukwesa Mwamba (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike) as Liji, and Prince Kundai (Bootycandy) as David.

Co-directed with Monique Touko, Calais Cameron's play is a Zambian space race epic, which sees a schoolteacher bring together a group of dreamers and train them for lift-off.

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, Dramaturg Gillian Greer, Cultural Dramaturg Mwansa Phiri, and Assistant Director Danielle Kassaraté.

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.”

Touko said: “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.”

Book The Afronauts tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: The Afronauts company. (Photo by Minji Suh)