Cast announced for the stage adaptation of Floella Benjamin’s autobiographical book Coming to England

The cast has been announced for the UK tour of the stage adaptation of Floella Benjamin’s much-loved and award-winning book, Coming to England, which is coming to the Oxford Playhouse from 18th – 21st September. This vibrant and energetic new play with music from Nicoll Entertainment and MAST Mayflower Studios tells Floella’s personal story of moving to England in the 1960s at the age of 10. Coming to England is an inspiring tale about determination and perseverance from which hope and triumph emerge during the Windrush Generation and is being adapted for the stage by David Wood OBE, one of the country’s leading writers and directors of plays and musicals for children.

The cast for Coming to England hails from the stage and screen, and is comprised of Julene Robinson (Get Up! Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre), (The Night Woman, Barbican Centre), (The Witcher, Netflix); Charles Angiama (Tell Me Everything, ITV 2), (Bloods Series 2 for Sky), (The Little Mermaid, Hoxton Hall); Maryla Abraham (gospel singer, writer, presenter, and actress); Shaquille Jack (For Black Boys Who Consider Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy, Apollo Theatre), (The Hunt, St. Ann’s Warehouse, NY); Solomon Gordon (Welcome To Thebes, Leeds Conservatoire); Simone Robinson (Passing Strange, Young Vic, London), (Whitney Houston, Queen of the Night, UK and International Tour); Alexander Bellinfantie (My Bloody Galentine, Benattar/Thomas Productions), (Sweetpea, Sky); Taya Ming (Much Ado About Nothing, Royal Shakespeare Company), (Slumlord, Theatre Peckham), (The Legend Retold, Regents Park Open Air Theatre); Jordan Stamatiadis (Sleeping Beauty, Charing Cross Theatre), (Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends: A Celebration, Sondheim Theatre), (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Provincetown Playhouse, NY); Christian James (Dirty Dancing, UK Tour), (Romeo & Juliet, Guildford Shakespeare Company), (Magic Goes Wrong, West End); Kamarane Grant (Three Little Birds, ITV) and Joe Pieri (The Roles We’ll Never Play, Clapham Grand).

At the age of just 10, Floella and her siblings left Trinidad and sailed alone to join their parents in England. But Floella’s excitement for her new life is short-lived, with her family subjected to racism and intolerance in 1960s London. Guided by her mother, and working twice as hard as her classmates, Coming to England tells the story of how a young Floella overcame adversity and grew to become Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham.

Baroness Floella Benjamin comments, “I am overjoyed and delighted that the fantastic cast for our emotive and significant show Coming to England has now been announced. Told from the perspective of a child, this heartfelt production uses music, dance, storytelling and drama to bring to life an inspirational Windrush journey about overcoming adversity and challenges through love, family unity and the feeling of belonging. Our cast and creative team bring with them a wealth of different experiences and skills, to a show that is packed full of lessons for families to engage with, all set to an upbeat soundtrack of fun musical numbers and songs. We can’t wait to bring Coming to England to audiences across the UK.”

The new cast for this charming and optimistic play with music is supported by a renowned team of creatives. David Wood’s many previous successes have included productions from the works of Roald Dahl, Judith Kerr and Philip Pullman. He is joined by Director Denzel Westley Sanderson (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, National Theatre, winner of the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award), Designer Jasmine Swan, Musical Director Abdul Shyllon and Choreographer & Movement Director Kloe Dean. Completing the team are Lighting Designers Rachel Luff and Will Hayman, Sound Designer Beth Duke with Casting direction from Richard Johnston for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting.

Over the last five decades, Floella Benjamin has had a diverse and varied career across the entertainment industry as an actress, singer, presenter, writer, independent producer, businesswoman and media regulator. Floella has written over 30 children’s books. Coming to England was published in hardback in October 1995 and has since been published as an educational edition and is being used to teach modern history in schools and universities. Pan- Macmillan re-published the book as a 20th anniversary edition, which was selected as a Guardian ‘Book of the Year 2016’ and Times Book of the Month.

ENDS

Notes to Editors
Title Coming to England

Cast

Floella Julene Robinson
Dardie Charles Angiama
Marmie Maryla Abraham
Ellington Shaquille Jack
Lester Solomon Gordon
Sandra + Teacher Simone Robinson
Roy + Uncle Alexander Bellinfantie
Cynthia + Auntie Taya Ming
Teacher + others Jordan Stamatiadis
Policeman + others Christian James
Onstage Swing + Dance Captain Karmarane Grant
Onstage Swing Joe Pieri

Creatives and Production Staff

Adaptor David Wood OBE
Director Denzel Westley Sanderson
Designer Jasmine Swan
Arranger/MD Abdul Shyllon
Choreographer & Movement Director Kloe Dean
Co Lighting Designer Will T K Hayman
Co Lighting Designer Rachel Luff
Sound Designer Beth Duke
Casting Director Richard Johnston for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting
Assistant Director Tara Noonan
Voice and Dialect Coach Simone Sauphanor
Costume Supervisor Louise Smith

Co-Producer Nicoll Entertainment
Co-Producer MAST Mayflower Studio, Southampton
Associate Producer Floella Benjamin
General Management Nicoll Entertainment

Company Stage Manager Roger Richardson
Deputy Stage Manager Lydia Holford
Tech Assistant Stage Manager Jack Sampson
Sound Technician Rose Farbrother
Prod LX/Re-Lighter Corrie Lynch
Wardrobe Assistant Liz Howard-Ellis

Ages 7+

Notes This production includes strong language and historically accurate racially abusive language

Social Media @comingtoengland
Website www.comingtoengland.com

Performance Dates

18th – 21st September Oxford Playhouse https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/

Nicoll Entertainment

Nicoll Entertainment is the brainchild of Oliver Royds & Nick Brooke, creating some of the most innovative family-friendly theatre productions of the past decade. The company has toured shows extensively across the UK & Ireland, as well as multiple West End seasons, and international tours across the USA, Canada, China, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Turkey, Belgium, Italy, Portugal & Germany to name a few.

Their Olivier Award-nominated production of The Tiger Who Came to Tea has been a huge success since its debut in 2008, playing to packed houses regularly across the UK and internationally; The Olivier Award-winning production of Dinosaur World Live has wowed audiences across 4 continents since 2017 with its ferociously life-like dinosaur puppets, winning the Olivier Award for Best Family Show in 2024; it is unique in bringing puppets of this scale to

an interactive setting where the audience can get so close to them; and most recently the Olivier Award nominated production of Dragons & Mythical Beasts has brought amazement and wonder to audiences across the UK, USA, Europe and China.

MAST Mayflower Studios

MAST Mayflower Studios is Southampton’s leading creative producing theatre. It exists to provide a warm welcome and creative space for everyone, whether it’s those who have never been to the theatre before or those who want to be challenged or involved themselves.
MAST is bound by a common purpose, to provide inspiring experiences for everyone, whether that’s individuals or families who are new to theatre or for those already steeped in theatre’s culture and all that it offers.

MAST, which opened in 2021, is open to all even if it’s just for coffee or to meet in the city centre location and is part of the Mayflower family – deeply connected to its long established creative-producing sister Mayflower Theatre.
www.mayflower.org.uk

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

All enquiries, high res images and further information: Emma Wall, Chloé Nelkin Consulting
E: e.wall@chloenelkinconsulting.com
W: www.chloenelkinconsulting.com