BLM and Questionable Shows

The fact of the matter is similar to casting people who are fat in roles. Directors typically will only cast a larger person in a role if it is specifically in the storyline as a character trait. Trans people are rarely utilised unless its a character trait or something to do with a plot. Also with exception to Hamilton and &Juliet, most musicals only have a racially diverse cast unless race is a feature of the plot for example Memphis, Hairspray, South Pacific. SO currently most shows have 1 Bame male and 1 Bame female as tokenism it could be argued this is even worse for Asian actors who are consistently overlooked in favour of black. Roles aren't written white usually for a character in mainstream musical or have any relevance to the plot so why can't actors be of colour for traditionally white roles.

Wicked springs to mind: the musical who's core message is to not judge someone by the color of their skin has never had a Black or Asian Elphaba or Glinda during its whole time on Broadway only understudies.

Thanks for the feedback. Georgie Stone is a good addition as the trans character in Neighbours. Okay she isn't the greatest actress but she is effectively playing herself and the current storyline trying to gain acceptance from her father is a really good one. I only found out that Georgie had transitioned when I googled her after she joined the show. So a good move to cast "like for like".

It would be unfair to really label Georgie trans as she has transitioned into a woman like Caitlyn Jenner did. She is now referred to as a woman as was obviously referred to as a man when she was a he as Bruce.

Sheila in drag costume looking like an aged brothel madam was hilarious and fair play to Colette Mann for squeezing into that risque outfit at 70 years old.

Regardless of his politics he's a thoroughly unpleasant man and I have no interest in listening to the viewpoints of a racist.

There is, however, a big difference between "censoring" shows and just deciding not to do them.

What about say West Side Story one of my all time favourite musicals?

With it's legendary close creative control would all the various estates agree to any changes?

I don't think any ALW shows contain any immediately offensive lyrics but with ALW and his co-collaborators still all with us or the vast majority of them then any tinkering can be done and ALW overseeing it.

I have no issue with colour blind casting as long as it is consistent like the RSC's Romeo and Juliet when you had one family black and one white. I just don't like a random white, asian, black character turning up as a brother or sister when the rest of the family are all one consistent race. The none birth related characters can be played by anyone of any colour if that bst explains it. Black husband -White wife no issue. Black Brother, White Sister I don't like unless it is a clear half brother/sister scenario.

And with theatre, it's normal enough to make a few changes, either resetting a story against a more modern backdrop, or updated cultural references.

I completely agree that it's important to distinguish between a character being a racist and a piece of work or the writer being racist (or sexist), but it has to be the right kind of racist for the story and the audience.

So in Fawlty Towers, at the time of writing, the Major using the N word was already pretty shocking, but it's far more shocking for today's audience, and not actually necessary for the plot. Or rather it doesn't add enough value to the plot to justify its inclusion.

On the other hand, serious dramas about racism, or slavery, then toning down language raises new problems. If you are to treat a subject with respect then a certain amount of authenticity is required, but just how often do you need to include particular terms? When does authenticity become sensational?

IMO, the bigger issue moving forward for the arts is representation. It's all very well looking at how things could have been done better in the past, and pondering whether or not a story about slavery should include some of the nastier aspects of slavery, but how many stories about slavery do we need? Aren't there better stories and characters for black actors to portray?

The point was made previously regarding Little Britain. I genuinely think they didn't mean harm by doing black face, and just felt that they should include a range of characters and not exclude black ones. But the real solution would have been to include some black actors in their cast, and to find black actors to contribute to the writing. Possibly find a woman while they are at it!

A Taste of Honey

A terrific play by Shelagh Delaney the National Theatre’s production was only in the West End last year. However you wouldn’t write a play today which featured a black sailor knocking up a white girl. However it was written in the 1950s when the country was very pious and conservative, it is a play that spoke for its time. As long as the audience is aware of this and it is a play that that is 65 yers old then fine.

Again The Merchant of Venice one of Shakespeare’s finest play, but it is also totally anti-Semitic, when you see a Jew getting stiched up and loses his wealth, but he can be rescued if he converts to Christianity, and all this was written in the name of comedy if you please, Again it spoke for its day, you wouldn’t write that today, but you wouldn’t change the piece also, as it is important to understand great historic literature. The play also has some of Shakespeare’s greatest lines.

The same goes for Tracey Ullman in her HBO shows - although there wasn't the air of condescension when Ullman did it that I got from Lucas and Walliams, whose work I've usually found unpleasant.