On Sunday 26 February 2017, Tarell Alvin McCraney made history by becoming the third African-American writer to win an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Moonlight. The film, based on his play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, also took home the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The Young Vic’s Maria theatre was home to the 2007 UK premiere of Tarell’s The Brothers Size which was also nominated for an Olivier Award. In 2008, Tarell returned to the Young Vic to remount the production and to stage the European premiere of his work In the Red and Brown Water in the Main House. That same year, he won the Evening Standard’s Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright.
‘The Young Vic has shown so much faith in my work.’ Tarell McCraney interview with TimeOut
In honour of this huge win and his amazing talent, we wanted to post a few quotes celebrating Tarell’s work at the Young Vic:
Ony Uhiara and Adjoa Andoh in In the Red and Brown Water. Photo by Keith Pattison.‘No piece of total theatre could have better lived up to the promise of its title than Tarell Alvin McCraney's extraordinary In the Red and Brown Water… McCraney is a distinctive voice in American theatre.’ The Evening Standard review of In the Red and Brown Water – read the full review here
The set of In the Red and Brown Water. Photo by Keith Pattison.‘Tarell Alvin McCraney is a name to remember… the virtue of McCraney's play lies in the clarity of its storytelling and its ability to yoke different cultures.’ The Guardian review of In the Red and Brown Water – read the full review here
Ashley Walters in In the Red and Brown Water. Photo by Keith Pattison.‘McCraney has a talent for painting pictures and characters with words.’ The Daily Mail review of In the Red and Brown Water
Nathaniel Martello-White, Nyasha Hatendi and Obi Abili in In the Red and Brown Water. Photo by Marc Brenner.‘An instant hit with critics and public alike.’ The Evening Standard on The Brothers Size – read the full article here
