Nancy Medina directs Tarell Alvin McCraney play in first Bristol Old Vic season

Nancy Medina is to direct Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy as her first production as artistic director of Bristol Old Vic. 

Medina’s first season also includes the world premiere of musical Starter for Ten and a co-production with theatre company tiata fahodzi of Nkenna Akunna’s cheeky little brown.

Academy award-winning writer McCraney’s Tony award-nominated play Choir Boy follows a young queer black student who is leading a gospel choir at his elite all-boys prep school in America.

McCraney said: "I wrote this play in 2009 as a reminder of how far we’d come, but it serves today, still, as an immediate lament on how very far we have to go, and Nancy’s keen eye for everyday justice and sure hand for intoxicating productions will serve us a powerful gathering around this necessary story."

The season opens with Edinburgh Festival Fringe transfer Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!, which runs from September 13 to 30. 

The Weston Studio’s autumn programme opens with cheeky little brown, which runs from September 21 to October 14 and is directed by tiata fahodzi’s artistic director Chinonyerem Odimba.

Family show The Colour of Dinosaurs follows in the Weston Studio, from October 20 to 28, in a studio-sized version, ahead of an expansion of the show for a premiere with Polka Theatre. It is created by Bristol-based music collective Otic and Lloyd Coleman.

Sonali Bhattacharyya’s Arabian Nights will run across the festive period from November 23 to January 6, directed by  Blanche McIntyre.

Medina said: "Each of our productions is about the power in belonging – isolated groups trying to find meaning and purpose – whether that is Kathy and Stella who have few opportunities in life, but make something special together, or Choir Boy’s young black boys discovering how to be men in a world that creates more barriers than opportunity with Pharus leading the way in how to be your authentic self; or Starter for Ten’s Brian – who is working out if where he comes from is good enough. 

"All full of music and resilience through joy and connectedness."

She added: "Characters believe they will find success through their individual action and discover they need to be part of a collective to truly triumph. This season of plays show that we can’t do things alone – we are stronger together." 
 

The season at a glance 

The Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney
Directed by Nancy Medina
October 12 to November 11
Main house 

cheeky little brown by Nkenna Akunna

Directed by Chinonyerem Odimba

September 21 to October 14 
Weston Studio 

Arabian Nights by Sonali Bhattacharyya 
Directed by Blanche McIntyre 
November 23 to January 6

Main house

Starter for Ten by Emma Hall, Charlie Parham, Tom Rasmussen and Hatty Carman
Directed by Charlie Parham
February 29 to March 30