The world première of the stage version of To Sir, With Love opens in Northampton on Friday (6 September).
A co-production by Northampton’s Royal and Derngate and the Touring Consortium Theatre Company, To Sir, With Love is based on E R Braithwaite’s autobiography and has been adapted by Ayub Khan Din.
It is the story of Ricky Braithwaite, an ex-RAF fighter pilot and Cambridge graduate, who arrives in London in 1948 and discovers the reality of life as a black man in post-war England.
Taking the only job he can get, Ricky begins his first teaching post in a tough but progressive East End school run by enlightened headmaster Florian.
The determined new teacher, supported by his headmaster, turns teenage rebelliousness into self respect, contempt into consideration and hate into love.
On the way Ricky learns he has more in common with his students than he realised.
Matthew Kelly plays Florian, a character based on Alex Bloom, the revolutionary headteacher of St George’s secondary school in Stepney which employed E R Braithwaite.
Ansu Kabia plays Ricky. The cast also includes Mykola Allen, seen in three series of the BBC1 period drama Land Girls, and Nicola Reynolds who was in the BBC3 sitcom Ideal.
The professional cast will be joined by eight teenagers who were cast in open auditions. They play the parts of pupils in Braithwaite’s class.
To Sir, With Love runs until Saturday 28 September before touring to nine venues across the country.