Crongton Knights, the award-winning young adult novel by Alex Wheatle – The Bard of Brixton – has been adapted for the stage by Pilot Theatre and is coming to Theatre Peckham in April.
In the adaptation, the pulse of the city (Crongton is a mash-up of Brixton and Croydon) is alive on stage with a soundscape of beatboxing and vocals from the cast, created by acclaimed musician Conrad Murray.
Alex Wheatle said the book is a modern quest story where, on their journey, the young, diverse lead characters have to confront debt, poverty, blackmail, loss, fear, the trauma of a flight from a foreign land and the omnipresent threat of gang violence.
Alex said about the new stage adaptation of Crongton Knights: “I am very proud that Pilot Theatre are adapting my novel, Crongton Knights, for the stage.
“The dialogue I created for this award-winning novel deserves a platform and I for one can’t wait to see the characters that have lived in my head for a number of years, leap out of my mind and onto a stage near you.”
Born in London to Jamaican parents, Alex Wheatle’s first book, Brixton Rock (1999) told the story of a 16-year old boy of mixed race in 1980s Brixton. The novel was adapted for the stage and performed at the Young Vic in 2010. Its sequel, Brenton Brown, was published in 2011.
Tickets for Crongton Knights at Theatre Peckham, 221 Havil Street, London, SE5 7SD, are £17/£13 and can be purchased from 020 7708 5401 or theatrepeckham.co.uk
