BBAS and History: Ira Aldridge

The Multicultural Shakespeare project has made a major contribution to Shakespeare in Ten Acts - the British Library's "dazzling" exhibition in honour of Shakespeare's life and influence on the world. One room is dedicated to Ira Aldridge, Paul Robeson and their present-day successors:

"Room 6 [...] documents the London performances of the African American actor Ira Aldridge as Othello in 1825, but goes far beyond that historical moment to consider colour-blind casting, to interview the actor Huigh Quarshie on racism in the play, and even to posit a professional rivalry between Laurence Olivier and Paul Robeson.' (Times Literary Supplement)

For an outline of Aldridge's career, read Tony Howard's investigation into the actor's reception in London - and in Coventry, where he became manager of the Coventry Theatre for a season in 1828, when slavery in the British colonies was still legal - see BBC History extra online:

http://www.historyextra.com/article/culture/ira-aldridge-shakespeare%E2%80%99s-black-othello

Radio Leicester - April 22, 2016. Hear Tony Howard and Phyzzical's Samir Bhamra on Shakespeare and diverse communities - from Sir Thomas More to today.

Imagine that you see the wretched strangers, /Their babies at their backs...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03q5wq3

From 01:45:15

Or here:migrants and more

Multicultural Shakespeare launched its database on 16 January to a packed audience at Tricycle Theatre. The British Black and Asian Shakespeare Performance Database reflects three years of research which documents and contextualises BAME performers' crucial yet undervalued contribution to our understanding of Shakespeare.

You can test the database here.

Press coverage was intense and international: The Guardian, The Independent, The Voice, Eurasia Review,

The Stage and Broadway World.