British Black and Asian Shakespeareans

About this book

"Shakespeare is at the heart of the British theatrical tradition, but the contribution of Ira Aldridge and the Shakespearean performers of African, Afro-Caribbean and Asian heritage who came after him is not widely known. Telling the story for the first time of how Shakespearean theatre was integrated from the 1960s to the twenty-first century, this is a timely and important account of that contribution. Drawing extensively on empirical evidence from the British Black and Asian Shakespeare Performance Database and featuring interviews with many performers, the book chronicles important productions that led to ground-breaking castings of black and Asian actors in substantial Shakespearean roles including: Zakes Mokae (Cry Freedom) as one of three black Witches in William Gaskill's production of Macbeth, Royal Court Theatre, London, 1966 - Norman Beaton as Angelo in Michael Rudman's 1981 Measure for Measure at the National Theatre, the first majority black Shakespearean cast at the National Theatre - Adrian Lester as Henry V in Nicholas Hytner's 2003 production. Detailing the earliest recorded castings of black and Asian performers in Shakespeare's roles, this illuminating account illustrates the various ways in which black and Asian actors have been integrated into contemporary Shakespearean productions. With first-hand accounts from key performers including Joseph Marcell, Adrian Lester, Noma Dumezweni, Rakie Ayola, Ray Fearon, Paterson Joseph, Lucian Msamati and many more, this book is an invaluable history of black and Asian Shakespeareans that highlights the gains these actors have made and the challenges still faced in pursuing a career in classical theatre."--