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After Olivier, black actors white up at the National
Louise Jury16 Mar 2009
The National Theatre is set to spark more race controversy today with a production in which black actors will "white up".
Performers in Death and the King's Horseman by Nigerian Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka will don white make-up in a reversal of the reviled practice of white actors "blacking up" for roles, as did Laurence Olivier in Othello in 1964.
The run which starts next month will follow a fierce row over stereotyping in Richard Bean's play England People Very Nice about East End immigrants.
Director Rufus Norris said the move to have some of his black cast play white British colonials had not been taken lightly. "The approach has been to frame the play as a ritual performed by a group of Yoruba story-tellers," he said. "They play the black and the white parts - and the bushes and at one point all the windows of a house."
Soyinka thought it was an apt way to avoid the drama, based on a true story of how colonial authorities prevented a Yoruba ritual suicide in 1943, being seen as "simply a criticism of the colonial era," the director said.
"The danger is it could be seen as a white versus black culture clash. But the play is much more than that. Soyinka's main [target for] criticism is irresponsible leadership."
Norris added: "What I hope is for an audience to get an intelligent critique of an important piece of African literature by a writer who is under-performed in this country, bearing in mind we have a large West African community." The play has had only one performance in this country, at the Manchester Royal Exchange 19 years ago. A spokesman for actors' union Equity said they had a problem with "blacking up" but not with this. "Our issue with 'blacking up' is to do with crude racial stereotyping following years of discrimination. But we have no problem with cross-racial casting. You don't have to have people with Danish blood cast as Hamlet."
But lawyer Mark Stephens, of Finers Stephens Innocent, said with white actors "blacking up" considered "morally repugnant", the question was whether the situation could be reversed acceptably.
He said there would only be a discrimination issue if white people were not allowed to audition.
Death and the King's Horseman is at the National from 1 April to 17 June.
Reader views (16)
In Olivier's memoir he mentions that makeup for this roll took hours. Not just face and arms but full body makeup. I believe he even made up the soles of his feet.
- Lizbeth, Orillia, Cda, 16/03/2009 04:31
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Curious one this. I'm sure in the past I've expressed "shock and horror" at white actors dressing up as black characters *regardless of context*. Reading this makes me think that context does matter, it might be a useful device.
In the theatre we accept a piece of cardboard as a tropical forest, so presumably our imagination should be able to cope with anything. Black actors dressing as white (or vice versa), women dressing as men, men dressing as animals, working class people pretending to be upper class toffs ... the important thing is that it's a decent/interesting play.
- Pete, Manchester, UK, 16/03/2009 03:45
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Does anyone actually care?
- Johnr, London, England, 14/03/2009 12:12
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I am absolutely disgusted at this story.In this day and age to have white actors dress up as black characters is unacceptable and racist!
Oh,wait a minute............sorry just read the story again and now understand that its the other way around.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm not sure what to think now.
thought about it.
this is totally acceptable now. Not allowed to say anything else really, Am i?
- Russ, luton, 14/03/2009 10:31
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Looks like the National Theatre are getting lots of lovely FREE publicity for this production.
Cynical, moi?
- Ann Louisa, Southampton, 14/03/2009 09:43
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Jesus Charlie; do you mean Rory Bremner, David Walliams and Matt Lucas; are actually white?
The country is now totally ruined, with all this multi-culturalism; nobody knows who or what they are anymore.
Is Gordon Brown white as well; if he is; he should change his name to Gordon White.
- Mickyinlondon, london, 13/03/2009 16:19
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Everything has been done before; Russell; the modern age is not that modern.
Newcastle, are having problems though; they should either play in black shirts or white shirts; because black and white shirts are unlucky and confusing..
- Mickyinlondon, london, 13/03/2009 15:01
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Some of the reactionary comments on here seem to assume that white actors are now forbidden to 'black up'. They're not - Rory Bremner, David Walliams and Matt Lucas have done it often in their TV shows.
- Charlie, Soho, London, 13/03/2009 14:47
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Oh I see it's OK for blacks to white up, but not vice versa.
How surprising, in modern day Britain.
As a white person I'm offended, can I claim compensation?
- P Staker, London, SW8, 13/03/2009 14:33
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During the glorious days of the black&white minstrels, didnt we also have the white&black minstrels for a short while? This has been done before.
- Russell, London, 13/03/2009 13:07
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Good afternoon Vivien.
Listen Lady; you can always beat all the doom and gloom with humour; Londoners are experts at that.
Plus; on the public Newspaper forums; you can get over your points; without them deleting your replies….wink wink.
The Mail is very biased; they lack humour on there; but the Standard is much more up front; although they do delete some of my replies…..LOL.
Have a nice day Vivien; and keep smiling ok.
- Mickyinlondon, london, 13/03/2009 13:03
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It's already been done, by the Theatre Royal Stratford, in their production of Genet's The Blacks a couple of years ago.
- Jon Rider, London, 13/03/2009 12:22
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Hey Mickyinlondon - had to laugh at your comment: I felt the same about Michael Jackson; I thought he was black. So did I Micky, so did I!
- Vivien, Middlesex, 13/03/2009 11:46
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As no-one portraying Al Jolsen can black themselves up anymore for fear or upsetting someone, it can cut both ways, fairs fair after all!
- Sue, Orpington, Kent, 13/03/2009 11:43
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I have no problem with this as I would have no problem with the reverse, if it's done for a reason. But please explain to me why Equity and others consider one repugnant and the other acceptable? Surely there is one rule for all after all these years of equal rights?
- Mark, Lond, 13/03/2009 11:20
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It broke my heart when I found out that Al Jolson was white.
I felt the same about Michael Jackson; I thought he was black.
I wish all those men dressed as women in pantomimes; and visa versa; would also make up their minds if they are girls or boys; I get confused with all this stuff.
Where has every-ones humour gone to?
Just as well that we had humour in the blitz; or we would all have ended up crying.
- Mickyinlondon, london, 13/03/2009 10:37
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