Guys and Dolls - Royal Exchange Manchester

I don't think you should accuse him of racism because he objects to an all-black cast.  Indeed, I think there's something racist about the idea of staging it as something taking place among all those black folks.  But that's not the same as colour-blind casting, which ignores race differences and doesn't try to emphasise race.  Further to the matter of colour-blind casting, doesn't anyone remember that Sky Masterson was played by Clark Peters, who's black, in the NT's 1997 revival?

To be honest, anyone who uses "PC" as a pejorative is the internet equivalent of a poisonous insect being brightly coloured. A highly visible way to give people in the know an idea of what's going on beneath the surface.

Also, read the thread, Paul, you can't sit there saying over and over again that you're the only person who remembers Clarke Peters has been in the show before when other people have already commented with "yes, I already know that".

I think it’s wonderful that we are having an all black cast Guys and Dolls. We are all pink inside.

What I do disagree with is forcing theatres to have BAME representation in the front of house and backstage. If they don’t meet a certain quota they can be fined or lose funding. In places like Chester 98 percent of the population are white. It should not be about ticking boxes.

1) The ME in BAME stands for "minority ethnic" and so includes black, white and everything else. For example, Irish-heritage people are BAME. Many of them are white.

2) The audience of a theatre in Chester don't all reside in Chester. There isn't a big sign over the entrance saying: "CHESTER THEATRE FOR CHESTER RESIDENTS". Is there?

3) Aaaggghhhh!!!!

And 4) Chester (or Caer) was invaded and governed by multi-ethnic Roman Empire people, two millennia ago.

I said nobody *seems* aware of it.  And that was because no-one has mentioned it in the context of this discussion.  "Nobody here seems aware of it" does not mean "No-one reading this board saw it."

Mods how do i ignore posters? Thanx😡😡

He may think it's a disgrace as being racist--as involving a deliberate attempt to people the stage with actors of one race only.  I agree that his use of "PC" is mildly ominous--people who use the phrase quite often have nasty attitudes--but not enough to be as conclusive as you suggest.  "It has to be said" could spring from the view that casting it all black is itself racist.

I'd be interested in seeing a source on that.

However, I'm not sure why it's surprising or disagreeable when it comes to public funding that those funds should go to events and places that work towards the type of society we want to become. After all, the demand for funding greatly outstrips the supply, so it's necessary to somehow decide which projects are most deserving of funding. The reality is that in order to get public arts funding there are a whole series of boxes you need to tick. From my limited experience I can remember showing how your event aims to make the arts more accessible, more universal, and inclusive in terms of your audience was a big thing.

Granted 'quotas' might be a crude means of achieving things like encouraging greater diversity in people going into the arts. However, the unfortunate reality is that softer means take ages to have any effect, if they do at all. You only need to look at the lack of diversity that still exists in some of the Oxbridge colleges to see that it's not easy to undo a huge and complex momentum.

Good grief. Did I fall asleep and wake up in 1937?

By which I mean I find it highly unlikely that any arts organisation would lose it funding, or worse, be fined because of imposed quotas on backstage and front of house staff.  I'd like to know what organisations are giving out these diktats and which are in receipt of them.  

Of course may arts organisations are given funding on the basis of increasing diversity amongst its staff and audiences - but i've not heard of such specific quotas being imposed.

Me too! Sat mat on 20 Jan, looking forward to it lots.

I don’t know if you’re serious or not but if you are the information is in our FAQ’s here. Q17.

www.theatreboard.co.uk/thread/65/theatreboard-faqs