Casting has been confirmed for the stage premiere of Cuttin’ it by Charlene James, directed by Gbolahan Obisesan at the Young Vic Theatre from the 20th May to the 11th June. 

Adelayo Adedayo (Some Girls) and Tsion Habte will play Muna and Iqra in the premiere of a play that looks at the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK.

Teenagers Muna and Iqra get the same bus to school but they’ve never really spoken.  Muna wears Topshop and sits on the top deck gossiping about Nicki Minaj’s latest beef, while Iqra sits alone downstairs in her charity shop hand-me-downs.  

They were both born in Somalia but come from different worlds. But as they get closer, they realise that their families share a painful secret.

The production will see both Adedayo and Habte both making their debuts at the Young Vic Theatre. It is directed by Gbolahan Obisesan and designed by Joanna Scotcher.

Cuttin’ It is co-produced along with the Royal Court Theatre, where the production will play as part of the theatre’s 60th anniversary season (23 June – 9 July)  before travelling to the  Birmingham Repertory Theatre (14 – 18 June), Latitude Festival (15 July), Sheffield Crucible (20 – 23 July) and The Yard Theatre (26 – 30 July).

Gbolahan Obisesan’s previous work at the Young Vic includes Feast (co-written with Yunior García Aguilera, Rotimi Babatunde, Marcos Barbosa and Tanya Barfield) directed by Rufus Norris, his play Mad About The Boy directed by Ria Parry, and his direction of Sus by Barrie Keeffe, as the recipient of the 2009 Jerwood Directors Award. The production subsequently toured to venues around the UK.

Cuttin’ It will play at the Young Vic Theatre from the 20th May until 11th June. For more information and to book tickets visit: http://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/cuttin-it.