Colour-blind casting

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Colour-blind casting or non-traditional casting is the practice in the casting of black or other ethnic minority actors in roles where a white actor might be expected. It derives its name from the medical condition of colour blindness. This most particularly occurs in historical dramas, with black people playing historical figures who were in fact white. Some criticise it as tokenism.

Examples include:

• David Oyelowo's playing of Henry VI of England in the RSC's This England: The Histories cycle. Oyelowo was the first black actor to play an English king in a major production of Shakespeare, and although this casting choice was initially criticised by some in the media, Oyelowo's performance was critically acclaimed and later won the Ian Charleson Award in the same year. (A few years later, in comparison, Adrian Lester's casting as Henry V at the Royal National Theatre drew little comment.)
• Kwame Kwei-Armah's portayal as Master of Arms in the 2006 TV episode of Robin Hood, entitled Who Shot The Sheriff?

[edit] References

• My Kingdom for a part
• Berry is top candidate to play white Democrat, 10th October 2006, Guardian
• Black kings are old hat, Guardian, September 20, 2000
• RSC casts black actor as English king for first time, 19th September 2000, Guardian
• I'm ready for a black Miss Marple, AN Wilson, Telegraph, 21/04/2002