‘As long as a man can dream, he can push the limits of what’s possible’
The Royal Court Theatre and Nica Burns announce the full cast and creative team for the World Premiere of The Afronauts, a Zambian space race epic by award-winning writer Ryan Calais Cameron who will co-direct with Monique Touko. The Afronauts marks the finale of the Royal Court Theatre’s 70th anniversary Downstairs season.
Zambia, 1964: the space race has a new contender. As the world’s great powers set their sights on the moon, a schoolteacher gathers a group of misfit dreamers and trains them for lift-off. The Afronauts tells the true(ish) story of the Zambian Space Program, and a nation’s defiant dream to reach for the stars.
The international cast brings together Black British and Black African talent led by television, film and stage star Lucian Msamati as Edward, and Ama Qamata, who will be making her UK stage debut as Matha. The company is completed by Ivanno Jeremiah, who reunites with Ryan Calais Cameron following his critically acclaimed performance as Sidney Poitier in Retrograde and will play Simon, Chomba S. Taulo as Ben, Munashe Chirisa as Cheelo, Pamela Nomvete as Grace, Lukwesa Mwamba as Liji, and Prince Kundai (Bootycandy) as David.
The creative team includes Set Designer Soutra Gilmour, Costume Designer Kinnetia Isidore, Lighting Designer Ryan Day, Composer and Sound Designer Khalil Madovi, Video Designer Dick Straker, Movement Director Kloé Dean, Wigs, Hair and Makeup Designer Cynthia De La Rosa, Casting Director Heather Basten CDG CSA, Dramaturg Gillian Greer, Cultural Dramaturg Mwansa Phiri and Assistant Director Danielle Kassaraté.
Ryan Calais Cameron, Writer and Co-Director, says: “The Afronauts is a love letter to the dreamers history forgot. It’s about what happens when imagination becomes a form of resistance, and how the fight for freedom isn’t just political, it’s cosmic. At its heart, this play asks: what does liberation look like when the whole universe is watching? For me, it’s not just a story about reaching the moon, it’s about the courage to believe we belonged there all along.”
Monique Touko, Co-Director, says: “The Afronauts is an offering to those who want to break out of existing confines, reach for the stars, and believe in more than what appears to be available. It imagines a space where Black bodies and ideas are not bound, but redefined, rediscovered, and able to transcend beyond what we can comprehend. Ending the 70th season of the Royal Court, reframing and spotlighting this historic event is a huge honour. This show is a moment for the culture – a reflection of the past, highlighting the strength of the shoulders we stand on, the fight we unfortunately inherit and the opportunity to fly beyond expectation.”
Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS
Saturday 14 November – Saturday 19 December 2026
Booking and full details: https://royalcourttheatre.com/events/afronauts/
