Full casting has been announced for I Ain’t Dumb, a brand new play from acclaimed playwright and former Belgrade Youth Theatre member Tom Wright. Produced by PlayWell Productions and Epicene, in association with the Belgrade Theatre and directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair the show will premiere from Weds 9 – Sat 12 Feb in the B2 auditorium.

The cast includes Simon Castle (Cieren), Harry Rose (Leon), Kavita Viyas (Mary), Sam Butters (Mark), Kimisha Lewis (Ms. Senabo), alongside newcomers Nicole Mbaeri (Natasha) and Vikas Gogana (Vikram), who are excited to be making their professional debuts.

Tom Wright said about the show:

“I’m over the moon to be debuting brand new work here at the Belgrade, a theatre that was incredibly formative to me growing up in Coventry. We’re thrilled to also be running an extensive engagement programme. This sees us collaborating with LGBTQ+ young people in Coventry and connecting with local audiences through lively panel talks, as well as offering an LGBTQ+ writer substantial play development and a full staged reading in the B2 space.”

I Ain’t Dumb tells the story of Natasha, a grieving student and Black Lives Matter activist. Alongside streetwise gay-bestie Cieren, they try to desperatly hold their classmates together. But what if Cieren is the reason everything is falling apart? Sex secrets, hip-hop and hope fight for centre stage in a vibrant, loud and proud, real talk rollercoaster.