British Black and Asian Shakespeareans : integrating Shakespeare, 1966-2018 / Jami Rogers.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rogers, Jami, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Shakespearean actors and actresses--Great Britain.

Shakespearean actors and actresses.

Actors--Great Britain--Biography.

Actors.

Actors--Great Britain--Interviews.

Theater--Great Britain--History--20th century.

Theater.

Acting--History--20th century.

Acting.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616--Stage history--Great Britain.

Shakespeare, William.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616--Dramatic production.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (256 pages).

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

London, England : The Arden Shakespeare, [2022]

Summary:

"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."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Chapter One. Ira Aldridge: "Impossible facts"

Chapter Two. "Difficult to justify this casting without sounding racist": breakthroughs and stereotypes

Chapter Three. Regional theatre

Chapter Four. The battle for Othello

Chapter Five. "Nobody was offering black actors Shakespeare": temba and talawa making Shakespeare theirs

Chapter Six. Tara arts and yellow earth: the growth of Asian-led Shakespeare

Chapter Seven. "The first classical generation": pushing boundaries in the 1990s

Chapter Eight. Black Shakespearean kings: the history plays and the glass ceiling

Chapter Nine. From multiculturalism to Brexit: further breakthroughs and stereotypes.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

Includes index.

ISBN:

9781350112933

1350112933

9781350112940

1350112941

OCLC:

1238133312