The Convert

PERFORMANCES ARE SOLD OUT.
To enquire about returns and waiting lists, you can email us at [email protected] or call us on 020 7229 0706. Please note our box office is only open from Monday to Friday, 10am – 6pm. If you would like to queue on the door for returns please note that the box office at the theatre is only open from one hour before the performance start time.

Western cultural impositions and Ancient African traditions make strange bedfellows. Never sleeping with both eyes shut for fear the other will strike.

It’s 1896 in Rhodesia and Jekesai has just been given her new, Catholic name. Chilford, the only black Roman Catholic teacher in the region, has decided she’ll now be known as Ester, wear European clothing and speak only in English. She’s torn away from everything that she knows by her fellow African who earnestly believes the promises of the White man.

From Tony-nominated writer Danai Gurira (Eclipsed), The Convert is a compelling exploration of a pivotal moment in history, when resisting the invading Western culture could mean death.

This production runs for approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes, including a 15 minute interval. There will be some nudity and smoking in this production.

WATCH THE TRAILER

Production images and trailer by Iona Firouzabadi

To learn more about our captioned performances, visit this page.

You can also learn more about our Young People's Nights here.

For a PDF version of The Convert free cast and creatives sheet click here.

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12th January - 11th February, 7:30pm. Wednesday and Saturday matinees 3pm.

Cast & CREATIVES

Marcus Adolphy

Marcus Adolphy plays Uncle and recent theatre credits include Macbeth (Atrix Bromsgrove), The Suicide, The Comedy of Errors (National Theatre), Backseat Drivers (The London Theatre), Keeler (The Charing Cross Theatre), Macbeth (The Last Refuge Theatre), The Chicago Cowboy (Rosemary Branch Theatre), Twelfth Night (The Nursery Theatre), Keeping Mum, 1867 and A Christmas Carol (The Brockley Jack Theatre) and The Children of Salt (Alma Theatre Bristol).

Television credits includes Scott and Bailey, Father Figure and Dream Demons.

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Mimi Ndiweni

Mimi Ndiweni plays Jekesai/Ester and recent theatre credits include Soul (Royal & Derngate Northampton/Hackney Empire), Wendy and Peter Pan and Taming of the Shrew (RSC), Sky Hawk (Theatr Clwyd), Hamlet and Incomplete and Random Acts of Kindness (Richard Burton Company/RWCMD) and This is Not an Exit and I Can Hear You, Revolt. She said. Revolt Again and The Ant and the Cicada (RSC).

Television credits include Yonderland, Mr Selfridge and for film The Legend of Tarzan.

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Clare Perkins

Clare Perkins plays Mai Tamba and recent theatre credits include Removal Men (Yard Theatre), Play On, Little Revolution (Almeida), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre), The House That Will Not Stand, Fabulation (Tricycle Theatre), and Our Country’s Good, Cyrano De Bergerac (Nuffield Theatre Southampton).

Television credits include Family Affairs, EastEnders, and Damned.

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Richard Pepple

Richard Pepple plays Chancellor and recent theatre credits include They Drink It In the Congo (Almeida), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (York Theatre Royal), Belong (Royal Court), Fixer (Oval House Theatre), In The Blood (Finborough Theatre), Coriolanus (RSC).

Television credits include Magnum Opus, Dates and The Dumping Ground and for film Beast Of No Nation and The Vintage.

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Michael Ajao

Michael Ajao plays Tamba. His theatre credits include How to Fix a Car Crash (Courtyard Theatre), Play On and Our Town (Almeida Theatre), Lord of the Flies (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) and Liberian Girl (Royal Court Theatre). His work for television includes 5x5, Cuffs and Code of a Killer; and for film, Attack the Block.

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Adam Washington – Sound Assisstant

Adam Washington was born and raised in Oxford and studied Theatre Design & Production at Trinity College in Wales.

Recent theatre credits include: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Oxford Playhouse) Wonder Season (Shakespeare's Globe) and 1917 (MCS).

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Nicole Scott – Deputy Stage Manager

Nicole Scott studied at Winchester University, graduated with a (BA Hons) combined degree in Choreography and Dance and Stage Management in 2012.

As Assistant Stage Manager her credits include: The Picture Of Dorian Gray (Greenwich), We Are London, I Am A Promise (Ovalhouse), Love N Stuff (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Press Road’ (Tricycle Theatre). As Deputy Stage Manager her credits include: Half Of Me (Lyric Hammersmith).

Nicole has also worked in Sound Operation for A Splotch Of Red (Friendly Fire Productions), Backstage/Costume Assistant for Fagin's Twist (The Place and Avant Garde Dance Company) and Front of House for Jersey Boys, The Book Of Mormon, Les Miserables and Miss Saigon.

Her stage management work experience credits include: A Street Car Named Desire (Young Vic), TakeOver Festival 2016 (Tricycle Theatre).

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Oliver Harman – Design Assistant

Oliver Harman is a graduate from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (2015) achieving a BA (Hons).

As Design Assistant his theatre credits include: Sleeping Beauty (The Torch Theatre Company), Yuri (Chapter), Sand and St Nicolas (The Other Room) and Rosie’s War (Theatr na nÓg).

As well as assisting, Oliver has designed set and costume for The Orator (Theatre West) and realised the design for Bordello (Italian SALAMARZANA: Festa Medievale). He has also production designed the music video for 4^th Project and their song ‘Taking me over’ (Pixllion).

Other credits include: workshop assistant for Roald Dahl: City of the Unexpected (National Theatre Wales), puppet design and construction for Local Super Hero’s (Bombastic) and design workshop leader for Performance (St Davids Hall).

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George Dennis – Sound Designer

George Dennis is a freelance sound designer. His previous credits for the Gate Theatre include: In the Night Time (Before the Sun Rises), Image of an Unknown Young Woman, Eclipsed, The Edge of our Bodies (Gate Theatre). His theatre credits include: The Homecoming (The Jamie Lloyd Company/Trafalgar Studios in which he received a Olivier Award nomination), Babe (Polka Theatre/UK Tour), Harrogate (also HighTide Festival), Primetime ’16, Fireworks, Liberian Girl, Primetime ’15 (Royal Court), The Mountaintop, The Island (Young Vic), Imogen, The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare’s Globe), In Fidelity (Traverse/HighTide Festival), Noises Off (Nottingham Playhouse/Northern Stage/Nuffield Southampton), German Skerries (Orange Tree), Brave New World, Regeneration (Royal and Derngate/Touring Consortium), Forget Me Not, Visitors (Bush Theatre), Eventide (Arcola Theatre/UK Tour), Chicken (Eastern Angles/Unity Theatre), Beautiful Thing (Arts Theatre/UK Tour), A Breakfast of Eels, The Last Yankee (Print Room), peddling (Arcola Theatre/59E59, New York/HighTide Festival), Mametz (National Theatre of Wales), Minotaur (Polka Theatre/Clwyd Theatr Cymru), Spring Awakening (Headlong), Love Your Soldiers (Sheffield Crucible Studio), Thark (Park Theatre), Moth (Bush Theatre/HighTide Festival), Hello/Goodbye (Hampstead Theatre), Liar Liar (Unicorn Theatre), Good Grief (Theatre Royal Bath/UK Tour), The Seven Year Itch (Salisbury Playhouse), When Did You Last See My Mother? (Trafalgar Studios 2), Debris, The Seagull, The Only True History of Lizzie Finn (Southwark Playhouse), A Life, Foxfinder (Finborough Theatre).

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Heather Doole – Production Manager

Heather is a freelance production manager. Pasts show include: Diary of a Madman (Gate Theatre); Carmen (Blackheath Halls); No Villain (Trafalgar Studios and Old Red Lion); Radiant Vermin (59E59, New York, Soho Theatre, London, and Tobacco Factory, Bristol); Iphigenia Quartet (The Gate Theatre); All or Nothing (The Vaults); Firebird (Hampstead Theatre Downstairs & Trafalgar Studios); Giving, The Argument, The Meeting, 36 Phone Calls, Sunspots, Deluge, Deposit, Elephants and State Red (Hampstead Theatre Downstairs); 4000 Days and Grounded (Park Theatre); Four Minutes Twelve Seconds (Trafalgar Studios); The Session (Soho Theatre); Octagon (Arcola Theatre); And Then Came the Nightjars (Bristol Old Vic Studio and Theatre 503); Valhalla, Animals & Cinderella and the Beanstalk (Theatre 503); Women Centre Stage Festival (NT Temporary space). She assisted on Bull (Young Vic).

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Rosie Elnile – Associate Artist

Rosie is performance designer.

Credits at the Gate include: The Ridiculous Darkness, Unknown Island and The Convert.

Further credits: The Wolves (Theatre Royal Stratford East); The Mysteries (Manchester Royal Exchange); Three Sisters (Manchester Royal Exchange/Yard Theatre); Abandon (Lyric Hammersmith); Returning to Haifa (Finborough); Goats, Prime Time (Royal Court); BIG GUNS (Yard Theatre).

Awards include: Stage Debut Award for Best Designer.

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The Gate Theatre’s work is made possible by public funding from Arts Council England.

The Convert is part of the Jerwood Young Designers Programme, supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation.

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Western cultural impositions and Ancient African traditions make strange bedfellows. Never sleeping with both eyes shut for fear the other will strike.

From Tony-nominated writer Danai Gurira (Eclipsed), The Convert is a compelling exploration of a pivotal moment in history, when resisting the invading Western culture could mean death.

This production runs for approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes, including a 15 minute interval. There will be some nudity and smoking in this production.

The Convert

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Cast & CREATIVES

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