Winsome Pinnock's Rockets and Blue Lights at the Royal Exchange full casting announced

Casting has been announced for the world premiere of Rockets and Blue Lights at the Royal Exchange in Manchester.

The 2018 Alfred Fagon Award-winning play explores Britain's role in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, set across different time periods and following multiple characters. Miranda Cromwell (Death of a Salesman) will direct, alongside designer Laura Hopkins, lighting designer Jessica Hung Han Yun, sound designer Elena Peña, composer / musical director, Femi Temowo, associate musical director, Elizabeth Westcott, associate director Mumba Dodwell and assistant director Chantelle Walker.

Kiza Deen (The Phlebotomist) will play Lou, alongside Karl Collins (Nine Night) as Thomas and Paul Bradley (EastEnders) as famed painter JMW Turner.

The cast is completed by Anthony Aje, Natey Jones, Rochelle Rose, Matthew Seadon-Young, Kudzai Sitima, Cathy Tyson and Everal A
Walsh. They are joined on stage by Temowo, who will perform throughout the piece.

Rockets and Blue Lights runs from 12 March to 4 April.