To Britain’s Artistic Directors/Executive Directors/Producers and Members of S.O.L.T.
Dear British Theatre Makers,
We are currently experiencing one of the biggest challenges we have ever had to face as a result of Covid-19. Perhaps this is why after the brutal murder of George Floyd the world has had time to pause and reflect on how we have arrived here as a society.
Across industries, from Sport to Education to Publishing we have witnessed an unprecedented level of self-examination, attempting to address complicity in racism; be that opting for silence rather than speaking out in solidarity, unconscious bias caused by ignorance or more blatant displays of prejudice. As an industry, we must not be above this rigorous self-examination.
We have watched you, our friends, colleagues and employers plead our case to the government and extolled the value and virtues of our industry. As theatre makers, we understand the importance of storytelling and it was our passion and commitment to telling stories that brought us all here. Whether we are producers or sound designers, writers or stage management, swings or wig makers we rely on each other every night when the lights go down to tell our stories. It is that awareness of our interconnectedness that gave many of us hope when we saw so many of you post messages of support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Yet, this optimism was tinged with the realism of our lived experience whilst working alongside many of you and the times when you have failed us.
It could be the frustration of being given black tights and being told they are “skin-tone” or the dog-whistle racist language bemoaning “diversity” in a review. Sometimes it is knowing that the only Black people employed by the production are onstage with no thought to the Creatives or offstage team. Other times it is just in the homogeneity of the work you choose to make and the stories you choose to tell.
We are in urgent need of and expect actionable reform.
We stand alongside you in this moment of self-reflection optimistic that newly awakened to these failures we shall make concerted efforts to address Industry wide issues that alienate your Black colleagues. We cannot accept empty gestures. Beyond your own personal self-education of anti-racism which we are assured is well underway, we would ask that you commit to the following measures as a signal of your intent to create anti-racist workplaces, equal for all your performers.
1. Hire and Retain:
Once offstage, the inclusivity of all departments drops immensely. Respect Black lives and careers the same way you do Black Music and Culture.
You will commit to seeking out diverse teams across all departments, truly representative of the Britain we live in today.
These figures will be reported back annually to BECTU and Equity representatives.
2. Hair and Wigs:
Black performers often feel unsupported in the hair department, creating unnecessary tension due to lack of training.
By Summer 2021 you will ensure that Wig Heads of Department and their deputies are trained in Afro Hair.
3. Makeup and Costume:
There are several companies that provide appropriate skin tone makeup, underwear and physio strapping.
When providing these for cast members, the appropriate provision will be made.
4. Reviews:
As a cultural ecosystem we are defined by our audiences. If we want to be truly inclusive, we will make space on Press Nights for a broader scope of publications to allow our work to be seen and critiqued by a diverse and equally important audience.
5. Outreach:
The next generation of theatre-makers are currently in our education system. We must ensure that they have access to our World-class theatre so that they may stand alongside us in a few years time. They must not be dissuaded or denied access because of the colour of their skin or their parents’ financial situation. So, we call on all of us, both subsidised and commercial theatre alike to identify pupils and young people from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds to partake in educational performances and workshops.
We have an opportunity to stand together as a community. It may not be easy, but it is right.
Will you join us?
This letter and it’s attached signatories will be sent to Britain’s leading theatres and producers nationwide on Thursday 2nd of July.
| Paapa Essiedu | Actor |
| Jack Thorne | Writer |
| Alis Wyn Davies | Actress |
| Bola Agbaje | Playwright |
| Olatunde Fagbenle | Actor |
| Charles Randolph-Wright | Writer/Director of Motown:The Musical |
| Jamael Westman | Actor |
| Karl Anthony Queensborough | Actor |
| Derek Bond | Freelance Director |
| Duncan Macmillan | Writer/Director |
| Alex Hassell | Actor/Artistic Director of The Factory |
| Isabella Odoffin | Casting Director, National theatre |
| Susie McKenna | Associate Director Kiln Theatre .. freelance actor writer director |
| Kobna Holdbrook-Smith | Actor/writer/ |
| Hayley Atwell | Actor |
| Solange Urdang | CEO Urdang Academy and co-Director Black British Theatre Awards |
| Jolyon Coy | Actor |
| Ian Rickson | Theatre Director |
| Eleanor Worthington Cox | Actor |
| Cyril Nri | Actor |
| GILES TERERA | Actor, Director, Writer |
| Vicky Richardson | Casting Director |
| Katie Brayben | Actor |
| Sam Yates | Freelance director |
| Gbolahan Obisesan | Artistic Director & CEO / BRIXTON HOUSE |
| David Ajala | Actor |
| Izuka Hoyle | Actor |
| Kwaku Ankomah | Actor |
| Courtney Briggs | Actor |
| James Northcote | Actor |
| Cedric Neal | Actor |
| Abigail Graham | Freelance Director |
| Haydn Gwynne | Actor |
| Obioma Ugoala | Actor |
| Heida Reed | Actor, Poldark |
| Katie Deacon | Actor |
| Jackie Clune | Actor |
| Jason Pennycooke | Actor/Choreographer/Director |
| Jodie Mcnee | Actor |
| Waylon Jacobs | Actor |
| Summer Strallen | Actress |
| Kate Marlais | Composer/Writer/Performer |
| Cherrelle Skeete | Actress, co-founder and Director of Blacktress UK |
| Clarke peters | Actor/director |
| Rosie Hilal | Actor |
| Dawn Hope | Actor |
| Nana St Bartholomew-Brown Morgan | Actor |
| Miriam Babooram | Actor |
| Maisie Robinson | Actor |
| Jack Butterworth | Actor |
| Niamh Hendron | Actor |
| Ashlee Brown | Actor |
| Maddison Bulleyment | Actor |
| Robert Madge | Actor |
| Sia Kiwa | Actor |
| Gabriella Margulies | Actor |
| Racheal Ofori | Actor |
| Daniel Hemsley | Actor |
| Neil McDermott | Actor |
| Jemma Geanaus | Actor |
| James Fairley | Actor |
| Sule Rimi | Actor |
| Terique Jarrett | Actor |
| Dujonna Gift-Simms | Actor |
| Sydney K Smith | Actor |
| Camilla Whitehill | Writer |
| Jason Barnett | Actor |
| Khai Shaw | Actor |
| Kwaku Ankomah | Actor |
| Itoya Osagiede | Actor |
| Peter Bankolé | Actor |
| Funlola Olufunwa | Actor |
| Julie Cheung-Inhin | Actor |
| Mollie Fowler | Actor |
| Chris Jenkins | Actor |
| BRIAN J LEYS | ACTOR |
| Megan Pemberton | Actor |
| Leigh Quinn | Actor |
| Helen millar | Actor |
| Emily Stott | Actor |
| Kammy Darweish | Actor |
| Jill McAusland | Actor |
| Stephen Leask | Actor |
| Lanna Joffrey | Actor |
| Theo St. Claire | Actor |
| Jill McAusland | Actor |
| Sarah Cullum | Actor |
| Kanako Nakano | Actor |
| Briony Rawle | Actor |
| Mark Rush | Actor |
| Evelyn Miller | Actor |
| Tessa Hatts | Actor |
| Blake Kubena | actor |
| Idriss Kargbo | Actor |
| Katharina Sellner | Actor |
| Leo Wan | Actor |
| Leslie Garcia Bowman | Actor |
| Philippine Velge | Actor |
| Vivien Carter | Actor |
| Alexander Mushore | Actor |
| Philippine Velge | Actor |
| Katie Deacon | Actor |
| Andrew Joshi | Actor |
| Gem Carmella | Actor |
| Dawn Hope | Actor |
| Jack Butterworth | Actor |
| Sam Oladeinde | Actor |
| Anna Crichlow | Actor |
| Robbie O’Neill | Actor |
| Cleopatra Joseph | Actor |
| Louisa Harland | Actor |
| Tsemaye | Actor |
| Adam Pettigrew | Actor |
| Milo Clarke | Actor |
| Vivien Parry | Actor |
| Denver Isaac | Actor |
| Kathryn Meisle | Actor |
| Tom Crowhurst | Actor |
| Marianne Oldham | Actor |
| Eddie Elliott | Actor |
| Natalie Gardner | Actor |
| Omar Malik | Actor |
| Elisabeth Hopper | Actor |
| Carl Spencer | Actor |
| Natasha Lewis | Actor |
| Ryan Carter | Actor / Creative Producer |
| Kris saddler | Actor / the factory theatre company |
| Kris saddler | Actor / the factory theatre company |
| Rakie Ayola | Actor /Exec Producer Shanty Productions |
| Ben Norris | Actor and Writer |
| Naomi Sheldon | Actor and Writer |
| Adam McNamara | Actor and Writer |
| Alice | Actor in training |
| Caroline Deverill | Actor Mamma Mia company of 2019/2020 |
| Paul Tinto | Actor, Equity |
| Nina Kristofferson | Actor, Singer, Writer |
| Trevor A Toussaint | Actor, Singer, Writer, |
| Maimuna Memon | Actor/ Composer/ Writer |
| Fiona Marr | Actor/ Factory Theatre |
| Aaron Lee Lambert | Actor/Agent |
| Zara Tomkinson | Actor/Director |
| Conor O’Kane | Actor/Producer – GOLEM! Theatre |
| Conor O’Kane | Actor/Producer – GOLEM! Theatre |
| Ben Sell | Actor/Singer |
| Geri Allen | Actor/Writer |
| Simeon Blake-Hall | Actor/Writer |
| Gabriella Schmidt | Actor/Writer |
| Gemma Barnett | Actor/Writer |
| Aaron Gordon | Actor/Writer (Freelancer) |
| Robbie Curran | Actor/Writer, |
| Kayleigh McKnight | Actress |
| Madeleine Dunne | Actress |
| Alice Tyler | Actress |
| Lana Griffith | Actress |
| Marisha Wallace | Actress |
| Tanya Edwards | actress |
| Chanté Faucher | Actress |
| Juliet Gough | Actress |
| Esme Sears | Actress |
| Juliet Gough | Actress |
| Zoe Rainey | Actress |
| Danielle Flett | Actress |
| Rosanna Bates | Actress |
| Mireia Mambo | Actress |
| Danielle Flett | Actress |
| Vanessa Fisher | Actress |
| Siân Nathaniel-James | Actress |
| Bethany Hinchliffe | Actress |
| Zainab Hasan | Actress |
| Indy Okonkwo | Actress / Applied Theatre Practitioner |
| Danusia Samal | Actress & Writer |
| Lucy Eaton | Actress and producer |
| Lia Given | Actress/Dancer |
| Sophia A Jackson | Afridiziak Theatre News |
| Rob Drummer | Artistic Director & CEO, Boundless Theatre |
| Lisa Spirling | Artistic Director & Chief Executive Theatre503 |
| Steffan Donnelly | Artistic Director, Invertigo Theatre Company |
| Matt Lim | Artistic Director, Punchline Theatre |
| Alasdair Hunter | Artistic Director, |
| Madelaine Moore | Artistic Director, The Thelmas |
| Marcus Bernard | Artistic Director, The Upsetters |
| Tim Stanley | Choreographer/Production Manager |
| Simon Lyshon | Co-Artistic Director of Engineer Theatre Collective |
| Jessica Knight | Costume |
| Camilla Thomson | Costume, freelance |
| Yolanda Burke | Creative |
| Sunita Hinduja | CSM – Six the Musical |
| Sophie Hayward | Dance School Owner |
| Jess Barnard | Dancer |
| Matthew G Astley | Dancer |
| Claudimar Neto | Dancer |
| Kim Battistini | Deputy Stage Manager |
| Kim Battistini | Deputy Stage Manager |
| Anna Marsland | Director |
| Blythe Stewart | Director |
| Moritz Valero | Director |
| Jo Tyabji | Director |
| Amelia Sears | Director |
| Nathan Crossan-Smith | Director |
| Denzel Westley-Sanderson | Director |
| Laura Keefe | Director |
| Kerry Kyriacos Michael | Director |
| Lucy Morrell | Director of Learning And Participation, Rose Theatre |
| Steph | Disney Cruise lines |
| Kayleigh Thadani | Disney’s Aladdin |
| Tommo Fowler | Dramaturg / Freelance |
| Natasha Blumsom-Leask | Dresser |
| Soulla Spyrou | Educator and extra |
| Danny John-Jules | Entertainer |
| Nick Fletcher | Equity Councillor, Chair of the Stage Committee |
| Ine Van Riet | Executive Director – Boundless Theatre |
| Amanda Castro | Executive Producer, Futures Theatre |
| CherAnn Thorkilsen | Founder/Director of Creative Voices UK |
| Debbie Hannan | Freelance |
| Jordana Golbourn | Freelance |
| Andrew Hyde | Freelance Artist |
| Alexzandra Sarmiento | Freelance Artist |
| Alexzandra Sarmiento | Freelance Artist |
| Germma Orleans-Thompson | Freelance director |
| Leigh Toney | Freelance Director |
| Lucy Bradley | Freelance Director |
| Fay Lomas | Freelance director |
| Jonathan Munby | Freelance Director |
| Lucy Jane Atkinson | Freelance director & dramaturg |
| Nikhil Vyas | Freelance Director + Theatre-Maker / Artistic Director of Trip Hazards |
| Demi | Freelance performer |
| Tatty Hennessy | Freelance playwright |
| Jennifer Chivers | Freelance Stage Crew and Dresser |
| Oliver Bagwell Purefoy | Freelance Stage Manager |
| Carol Pestridge | Freelance Stage Manager |
| Tash Hyman | Freelance Theatre Director |
| Emma Baggott | Freelance Theatre Director |
| Anna Ryder | Freelance Theatre Director |
| Chelsea Walker | Freelance theatre director |
| Alex Thorpe | Freelance Theatre Director |
| Felicity Green | Freelance Theatre Maker |
| Luke Barnes | Freelance Writer |
| Millie Capon | Front of House |
| Hannah Mitchell | Front of House, ATG |
| Emily Kilbane | Graduate |
| Beth Riley | GSA theatre production student |
| Sharon Rose | Hamilton |
| Manaia Glassey-Ohlson | Hamilton/performer |
| Paul Hilliar | Head of Comms / Wildcard |
| Eleanor Hodgkinson | Head of performing arts |
| Tim Gradwell | Head of wardrobe |
| Caitlin Lisymter | Just a fan 🙂 |
| Seyi Oduwole | Line Manager. |
| Alexandra Ward | Management. |
| Zoe Svendsen | METIS ARTS/PROJECTS |
| Sean Kwok | Musical Theatre/Drama School Student |
| Megan Brimble | Actor |
| Catherine Gregory | Performer |
| Emma | Performer |
| Grace McGill | Performer |
| Wendy Mae Brown | Performer |
| Jarneia Richard – Noel | Performer |
| Eleanor Hudson | Performer |
| Joshua dever | Performer |
| Jarneia Richard – Noel | Performer |
| Christopher Foley | Performer |
| Christopher Foley | Performer |
| Jay Perry | Performer |
| Angela Marie Hurst | Performer, Teacher |
| Aimée Parry. | Performer. |
| Carys Dalby | Performing Arts Student |
| Sarah Attah | Performing arts teacher |
| Sophie Ellerby | Playwright |
| Abraham Adeyemi | Playwright |
| Alexandra Wood | Playwright |
| Ella Thompson | Playwright |
| Morgan Lloyd Malcolm | Playwright and Screenwriter |
| Ella Road | Playwright, Screenwriter and Actor |
| Name | Position/Organisation |
| Zara Bartels | previously Dance Captain of The Lion King, |
| Patience Persson | Production Assistant |
| Angus Brown | Professional Actor (and collaborative Theatre Maker) |
| Roy Alexander Weise | Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester |
| Monica Swayne | Self Employed Actor |
| Wendy Baldock | Singer/Dancer |
| Evie Nichols | Sound No2. |
| Heather Teasdale | Stage Manager Hamilton London |
| Grace Bourached | Student |
| Amelia Fadden | Student |
| Alice Loftus | Student |
| Mijntje Vader | Student |
| Martha Charles | Student |
| Sophie Glickman | Student |
| Gaia Vyas-Adams | Student |
| Stevie Worthington | Student |
| Lucy Gutteridge | Student |
| Hannah | Student |
| Daniella Frankal | Student |
| Casey Foyle | Student |
| Madeline Roy | Student |
| Nolwenn Adams | Student |
| Jessica Snell | Student/actor singer |
| Laughing Mirror Theatre | Theatre Company |
| Sara Mercade | Theatre Designer |
| Tara Overfield Wilkinson | Theatre Director |
| Tom O’Brien | Theatre Director |
| Katie Johnston | Theatre goer |
| Olivia james | Theatre Student |
| Emily Holden | Theatre Student |
| Mary Proctor | Theatre supporter |
| Hywel Morgan | Vice Chair, Equity Stage Industrial Committee, |
| Natasha Hughes | Wardobe Assistant |
| Mabyn Aita | Wardorbe |
| Amy Thackeray | Wardrobe |
| Jade Berg | Wardrobe Assistant |
| Beth powell | Wardrobe assistant/dresser |
| Aurelie Vogt | Wardrobe department |
| Anna Winkler | Wardrobe Deputy |
| Wale Olufunwa | Wellington Academy |
| Alun Hood | WhatsOnStage |
| Nina van Houten | Wigs hair and makeup artist |
| Martha Watson Allpress | Writer |
| Steven Kavuma | Writer / Director |
| Tanya Singh | Writer & filmmaker |
| Anna Brook-Mitchell | Writer/actor |
| Waylon Jacobs | Actor |
| Summer Strallen | Entertainment professional |
| Kate Marlais | Composer/Writer/Performer |
| Cherrelle Skeete | Actress, co-founder and Director of Blacktress UK |
| Leah Hill | Actress/dancer |
| Cleve September | Actor |
| Richard Acha | Creative Director & Artist Developer |
| Sarah Butcher | Director / non zero one |
| Miriam-Teak Lee | Actress/Singer/Dancer |
| Prasanna Puwanarajah | Actor / Director / Writer |
| Vicki Grace | Development Director, Royal Court Theatre |
An Open Letter To British Theatre 