Casting has been announced for the premiere of Birmingham writer Joan Carty’s play Holding the Centre, the first production in a Season of Love and Belonging in Coventry Belgrade’s B2 auditorium.
Coventry-born actor Jordan Leigh will play Micaiah alongside Alexandria Carr as Claudette. The cast also features Adaya Henry as Selena, Elizabeth Adejemi as Jay, Mauricia Lewis as Des and Jordan Laidley as Marcus. Kaye Brown doubles up as Mabel and Julie while Deborah Tracey plays Jennifer and The Woman. Conor Deane is Keith, Alex and The Discourse.
Holding the Centre tells how Micaiah, a successful events organiser and importer, spirals out of control when one of his friends is murdered. The life he has carefully built up begins to fall apart.
Joan Carty is an alumnus of the Belgrade Theatre’s Critical Mass programme. She comes to playwriting with 20 years’ experience of working with socially excluded communities.
The show will be produced by Women Writes, founded in 2018 to support female playwrights from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, and Coventry-born Melissa Jordan who served an apprenticeship with the Belgrade and has worked with organisations including Highly Sprung, Theatre Absolute and Warwick Arts Centre.
Holding the Centre will be directed by the Belgrade Theatre’s Leon Phillips and co-directed by Women Writes founder Reaya Sealey. Lighting is by Michael Barrett-Bourmier and sound is by Oliver Lefever of Fluorescent Fish.
Holding the Centre will run at the Belgrade Theatre from Wednesday 4 until Saturday 7 September.